^0 


RINGS 


By  GEORGE  FREDERICK  KUNZ,  Ph.D.,  Sc.D.,  A.M. 


THE  CURIOUS  LORE  OF 
PRECIOUS  STONES 

Being  a  description  of  their  sentiments  and  folklore,  super- 
stitions, symbolism,  mysticism,  use  in  protection,  preven- 
tion, religion  and  divination,  crystal  gazing,  birth-stones, 
lucky  stones  and  talismans,  astral,  zodiacal,  and  planetary. 

THE  MAGIC  OF  JEWELS 
AND  CHARMS 

Magic  jewels  and  electric  gems  ;  meteorites  or  celestial 
stones  ;  stones  of  healing  :  fabulous  stones  :  concretions 
and  fossils  ;  snake  stones  and  bezoars  ;  charms  of  ancient 
and  modern  times;  facts  and  fancies  about  precious  stones. 

EACH  :  Profusely  illustrated  in  color,  doubletone 
and  line.  Octavo.  Handsome  cloth  binding,  gilt 
top,  in  a  box.    $6.00  net.   Carriage  charges  extra. 

SHAKESPEARE  AND 
PRECIOUS  STONES 

Treating  of  the  known  references  to  precious  stones  in 
Shakespeare's  works,  with  comments  as  to  the  origin  of 
his  material,  the  knowledge  of  the  poet  concerning  pre- 
cious stones,  and  references  as  to  where  the  precious 
stones  of  his  time  came  from. 

Four  illustrations.  Square  Octavo.  Decorated  cloth.  $1.25  net. 


Digitized  by 

the  Internet  Archive 

in  2014 

https://archive.org/details/ringsforfingerfrOOkunz_0 


THE  MAHARANI  OF  SIKKIM  (NORTHEASTERN  HINDUSTAN) 
She  wears  two  gold  rings,  one  set  with  a  turquoise,  the  other  with  coral.   The  peculiar  crown  of  gold, 
turquoise  and  coral  is  that  adopted  for  the  queens  of  Sikkim.  From  the  necklace  ot  amber  beads  hangs  a  gau, 
or  charm  box,  set  with  rubies,  lapis-lazuli,  and  turquoise. 

Oil  painting  by  Damodar  Dutt,  a  Bengali  artist 
Dr.  Berthold  Laufer's  "Notes  on  Turquoise  in  the  East,"  Chicago,  191S 


RINGS 

FOR  THE  FINGER 


FROM  THE  EARLIEST  KNOWN  TIMES  TO  THE  PRESENT, 
WITH  FULL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  ORIGIN,  EARLY 
MAKING,  MATERIALS,  THE  ARCHAEOLOGY,  HISTORY, 
FOR  AFFECTION,  FOR  LOVE,  FOR  ENGAGEMENT, 
FOR  WEDDING.  COMMEMORATIVE,  MOURNING,  ETC. 


BY 

GEORGE  FREDERICK  KUNZ, 
Ph.D.,  Sc.D.,  A.m. 

WITH  290  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR,  DOUBLETONB  AND  LINK 


PHILADELPHIA  &  LONDON 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 
1917 


)  DO    -DEL   -   F  A      T  E 


COPYRIGHT,  1917,  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


PUBLISHED  JANUARY,  1917 


PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 
AT  THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 
PHILADELPHIA,  U.S.A. 


To 


PETER  COOPER 

AND  TO 

HIS  DESCENDANTS 

WHO  HAVE  SO  GENEROUSLY  AND  DEVOTEDLY 
CARRIED  OUT  HIS  TRADITIONS,  AND  DEVELOPED 
THEM  AS  OCCASION  DEMANDED, 

AND  TO 

THE  COOPER  UNION  OF  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES 

IN  THE  LABORATORIES,  LECTURE  ROOMS  AND 
LIBRARY  OF  WHICH  THE  AUTHOR  SPENT 
USEFUL,  PROFITABLE  EVENING  HOURS  FOR 
SEVERAL  YEARS,  AT  A  TIME  WHEN  THERE 
WERE  NO  OTHER  OPPORTUNITIES  OF  A  SIMILAR 
NATURE  IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK — THIS 
VOLUME    IS    AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 


FOREWORD 


THE  present  volume  aims  to  offer  in  attractive  and 
convenient  form  everything  that  is  of  importance 
and  interest  in  regard  to  finger-rings,  from  the  fabled 
ring  of  Prometheus  down  to  the  latest  productions  of  the 
goldsmiths  and  jewellers  of  our  day. 

The  subject  offers  a  striking  illustration  of  the  won- 
derful diversity  of  form,  decoration  and  usage,  that  the 
skill  and  fancy  of  man  have  been  able  to  realize  in  the 
case  of  the  little  circlet  constituting  a  ring.  To  make 
this  clearer  to  the  reader,  a  division  in  accordance  with 
the  general  history  and  the  special  uses  of  rings  has 
seemed  more  effective  than  any  attempt  to  separate  all 
the  material  along  geographical  or  chronological  lines. 

One  of  the  earliest  uses  to  which  rings  were  put  was 
for  the  impression  of  an  engraved  design  or  device  upon 
letters  or  documents,  as  the  sign-manual  of  the  wearer. 
From  the  time  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  this  use  pre- 
vailed in  various  parts  of  the  world  and  many  of  the 
most  striking  rings  of  this  type  are  described  and  figured 
here.  Allied  to  these,  and  in  some  cases  identical  with 
them,  are  the  rings  given  as  marks  of  official  dignity 
and  rank. 

A  most  important  class  are  the  rings  bestowed  upon 
and  worn  by  the  higher  ecclesiastics.  Papal  rings, 
among  which  the  most  noted  is  the  Fisherman's  Ring," 
rings  for  cardinals  and  for  bishops,  and  also  occasionally 
in  former  times,  for  abbots,  were  and  are  still  regarded 
with  special  reverence  in  the  Roman  and  Greek  churches. 
The  usage  of  wearing  rings  of  this  type  dates  far  back 
in  the  history  of  Christianity.   Many  examples  of  these 

vii 


viii 


FOREWORD 


rings  are  given,  as  also  of  others  bearing  Christian 
emblems,  and  of  those  worn  by  nuns,  and  by  widows 
who  had  vowed  never  to  re-wed. 

Closely  connected  with  these  religious  rings,  are  the 
betrothal  and  wedding  rings.  Here  it  has  seemed  best 
to  group  together  the  available  data,  since  the  line  of 
demarcation  between  engagement  and  wedding  rings, 
though  clearly  enough  marked  to-day,  is  not  easy  to  draw 
in  regard  to  earlier  times.  A  very  full  selection  of  mot- 
toes has  been  added,  some  of  which  might  still  be  used ; 
the  greater  number,  however,  belong  to  a  past  age,  upon 
the  sentiments  of  which  they  cast  interesting  side  lights. 

Rings  as  charms  and  talismans  form  a  class  apart. 
Often  the  peculiar  form  of  the  circlet  was  conceived  to 
have  a  symbolic  virtue,  but  more  frequently  the  talis- 
manic  quality  depended  upon  some  curious  engraved 
device,  upon  the  stones  set  in  the  rings,  or  upon  a  mystic 
or  religious  inscription.  Rings  of  healing  were  talismans 
valued  for  their  special  power  to  cure  disease;  the 
"  cramp  rings,"  dated  in  legend  back  to  the  time  of 
Edward  the  Confessor,  were  notable  in  this  series. 

The  rings  of  famous  men  and  women  will  always  be 
prized  as  mementos,  and  in  the  various  chapters  of  this 
book  a  large  number  of  them  will  be  found,  both  rings 
of  the  mighty  dead  and  those  of  distinguished  living  per- 
sons ;  among  these  latter  we  are  happy  to  be  able  to  pro- 
duce an  illustration  of  the  inscription  of  President  Wil- 
son's ring  from  an  impression  of  his  seal  courteously 
made  by  his  own  hand.  It  shows  his  name  engraved  in 
Pitmanic  shorthand. 

Our  American  Indians  have  also  made  their  con- 
tribution to  the  art  of  ring-making,  occasionally  in  the 
earlier  centuries,  and  more  especially  in  more  recent 
times.     Notably  the  Navajos  of  New  Mexico  have 


FOREWORD 


ix 


exhibited  a  considerable  degree  of  skill  in  this  direction. 
Much  new  information  on  this  subject  will  be  found 
in  the  present  work. 

How  rings  are  made  by  our  jewellers  of  to-day,  more 
especially  by  the  accurate  and  varied  mechanical 
methods  now  employed  for  their  production,  is  concisely 
treated  in  a  supplementary  chapter.  While  machine- 
made  rings  can  scarcelj^  be  expected  to  equal  those 
executed  by  the  hand  of  the  true  artist-goldsmith,  those 
now  produced  are  nevertheless  objects  of  beauty  and 
adornment. 

A  ring  is  a  symbol  to  which  great  interest  is  attached 
from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  Frequently,  a  natal  stone, 
or  a  ring  set  with  a  natal  stone,  is  given  to  a  child  at  its 
birth.  When  the  child  is  baptized  it  receives  the  talis- 
manic  gem  of  the  guardian  angel.  At  confirmation  the 
gem  of  the  week  is  given.  At  graduation  from  school 
or  college,  a  class  ring  is  bestowed.  Finally,  on  the 
announcement  of  an  engagement,  a  ring  set  with  any 
one  of  the  choicer  precious  stones  is  selected  for  the 
fiancee.  Thus  each  important  epoch  in  early  life  has  its 
appropriate  memento,  which  will  recall  the  memory  of  it 
in  after  years. 

As  very  full  indications  as  to  the  literature  have  been 
given  in  the  footnotes,  it  has  not  seemed  necessary  to 
append  the  numerous  titles  in  the  form  of  a  bibliography. 

The  author's  thanks  are  due  to  the  following  per- 
sons, who  have  courteously  imparted  much  valuable 
information : 

Hon.  Peter  T.  Barlow;  Miss  Ada  M.  Barr;  W.  Ged- 
ney  Beatty;  Theodoor  de  Boog,  Museum  of  the  Ameri  - 
can Indian;  Dr.  Stewart  Culin,  Brooklyn  Institute; 
Kobert  W.  De  Forrest;  Mrs.  Alexander  W.  Drake; 
Dr.  Gustavus  A.  Eisen ;  Prof.  Richard  Gottheil,  Colum- 


X 


FOREWORD 


bia  University;  Dr.  L.  P.  Gratacap,  Curator,  Dept.  of 
Mineralogy,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History; 
Right  Rev.  David  H.  Greer,  Bishop  of  New  York;  Mrs. 
Isabel  Hapgood ;  Prof.  A.  V.  Williams  Jackson,  Colum- 
bia University;  William  H.  Jones;  Minor  C.  Keith; 
Dr.  F.  A.  Lucas,  Director,  American  Museum  of  Natu-' 
ral  History;  B.  Mazza;  Edward  T.  Newell,  President, 
American  Numismatic  Society;  Prof.  John  Dyneley 
Prince,  Columbia  University;  Mrs.  Annie  R.  Schley; 
Dr.  George  C.  Stone;  J.  Alden  Weir,  President,  Na- 
tional Academy  of  Design;  Dr.  Clark  Wissler,  Curator, 
Dept.  of  Anthropology,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History;  Theodore  M.  Woodland;  Walter  C.  Wyman, 
and  also  the  late  William  M.  Chase;  Dr.  Charles  S. 
Braddock,  Jr.;  Prof.  Friedrich  Hirth,  Columbia  Uni- 
versity; Sidney  P.  Noe,  Librarian,  and  Howland  Wood, 
Curator,  American  Numismatic  Society ;  Rev.  Dr.  John 
P.  Peters  and  Rev.  Father  William  J.  Stewart,  all  of 
New  York  City. 

Prof.  Cyrus  Adler,  Dropsie  College,  Philadelphia; 
Dr.  Hector  Alliot,  South  Western  Museum,  Los  An- 
geles, Cal. ;  Dr.  F.  H.  Barrow,  Director,  Golden  Gate 
Museum,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Prof.  Hiram  Bingham, 
Yale  University;  Frank  S.  Daggett,  Director,  Museum 
of  History,  Science  and  Art,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Dr. 
Joseph  K.  Dixon,  Secretary,  National  American  Indian 
Memorial  Asso.,  Philadelphia;  Dr.  Arthur  Fairbanks, 
Director,  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  Mass. ;  Fran- 
ciscan Fathers,  St.  Michael's  Mission,  Arizona;  Prof. 
L.  C.  Glenn,  Vanderbilt  University,  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee ;  Dr.  F.  W.  Hodge,  Ethnologist-in-charge,  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  Washington,  D.  C;  Prof.  W.  H. 
Holmes,  Head  Curator,  Dept.  of  Anthropology,  United 
States  National  Museum,  Washington,  D,  C. ;  Dr.  Wal- 


FOREWORD 


xi 


ter  Hough,  Acting  Head  Curator,  Dept.  of  Anthro- 
pology, United  States  National  Museum,  Washington, 
D.  C. ;  Prof.  Morris  Jastrow,  Jr.,  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania; Dr.  Berthold  Laufer,  Curator  of  Anthro- 
pology, Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago; 
Waldo  Lincoln,  American  Antiquarian  Society,  Wor- 
cester, Mass.;  Prof.  George  Grant  McCurdy,  Curator 
of  Anthropology,  Peabody  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, Yale  University;  Dr.  William  C.  Mills,  Curator 
and  Librarian,  Chicago  Archaeological  and  Historical 
Soc;  Edward  S.  Morse,  Director,  Peabody  Museum, 
Salem,  Mass.;  Dr.  Warren  K.  Moorehead,  Curator, 
Dept.  American  Archaeology,  Phillips  Academy,  An- 
dover,  Mass.;  Ostby  &  Barton  Co.,  Providence,  R.  I.; 
Admiral  Robert  E.  Peary,  Washington,  D.  C;  Dr.  R. 
Rathbun,  United  States  National  Museum,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C;  William  Riker,  Newark,  N.  J.;  Oliver  A. 
Roberts,  Librarian,  Masonic  Temple,  Boston,  Mass.; 
Prof.  Austin  T.  Rogers,  Leland  Stanford  Jr.  Univer- 
sity, Stanford  University,  Cal.;  Dr.  F.  J.  V.  Skiff, 
Director,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago; 
Prof.  Friedrich  Starr,  University  of  Chicago ;  Rev.  John 
Baer  Stoudt,  Northampton,  Pa. ;  Ex-President  William 
H.  Taft,  New  Haven,  Conn. ;  J.  P.  Tumulty,  Secretary 
to  President  Wilson,  Washington,  D.  C;  the  late  Dr. 
William  Hayes  Ward,  Assjo-iologist,  South  Berwick, 
Mass. 

W.  W.  Blake,  Mexico  City;  A.  W.  Feavearyear, 
London,  England;  R.  Friedlander  &  Sohn,  Berlin; 
Prabha  Karavongu,  Siamese  Legation,  Washington, 
D.  C. ;  Mrs.  Isabel  Moore,  Azores ;  M.  Georges  Pelissier, 
Paris,  France;  Dr.  William  Flinders  Petrie,  Egyptol- 
ogist, Hampstead,  England ;  Sir  Charles  Hercules  Read, 
Curator,  Dept.  British  and  Mediaeval  Antiquities  and 


xii 


FOREWORD 


Ethnography,  British  Museum;  Dr.  Leonard  Spencer, 
Curator,  Mineralogical  Dept., British  Museum  (Natural 
History)  ;  C.  J.  S.  Thompson,  Curator,  Wellcome  His- 
torical Medical  Museum,  London,  England;  Sir  Her- 
bert Tree,  London,  England;  Dr.  T.  Wada,  Tokio, 
Japan;  Herr  Leopold  Weininger,  Vienna,  and  also 
Dr.  Albert  Figdor,  Vienna,  and  U.  S.  Consul  W.  Bar- 
del,  St.  Michael,  Azores. 

The  illustrations  of  rings  in  the  British  Museum  are 
mostly  from  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  exceedingly  com- 
prehensive catalogues  of  rings  published  by  this  museum : 
"  Finger  Rings,  Greek,  Etruscan  and  Roman,"  by  F. 
H.  Marshall,  and  "  Finger  Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byz- 
antine, Teutonic,  Mediseval,  and  Later,"  by  O.  M. 
Dalton.  In  each  volume  the  section  devoted  to  a  special 
description  of  each  ring  is  preceded  by  a  most  scholarly 
and  enlightening  introductory  essay. 

G.  F.  K. 

New  Yoek  City, 
November,  1916 


^  Signet  of  the  author,  reading  George  F.  Kunz,  New  York. 
Engraved  upon  a  dark  red  sard,  in  Teheran,  Persia,  in  1895. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE    ORIGIN,    PURPOSES    AND    METHODS    OF  RING 
WEARING   1 


1.  The  Origin  of  the  Ring 

2.  Purposes  of  Ring  Wearing 

3.  Methods  of  Wearing 

II.  FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  OF  WHICH  THEY  ARE 


MADE   67 

The  Materials  of  Rings 

III.  SIGNET  RINGS   115 

IV.  SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY   162 

1.  On  the  Continent 

2.  English  Rings 

V.  BETROTHAL  (ENGAGEMENT)  RINGS,  WEDDING  (NUPTIAL) 
RINGS,  AND  LOVE  TOKENS   193 

VI.  THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS   249 

Vn.  MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS   288 

VIIL  RINGS  OF  HEALING  336 

IX.  RING  MAKING   355 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

COLOR  PLATES 

PAGE 


The  Maharani  of  Sikkim   Frontispiece 

Richly  Enameled  Rings  in  the  Collection  of  Dr.  Albert  Figdor.  . .  90 

Shakespeare's  Signet  Ring;  Lord  Byron's  Ring   152 

DOUBLETONES 

Evolution  of  the  Ring   2 

Serpent  Ring;  Greek  and  Roman  Rings;  Mycenaean  Rings   3 

Ancient  Rings  of  American  Indians   20 

Navajo  Silversmith  at  Work   21 

Navajo  Indian  Girl  Wearing  Native  Rings   24 

Navajo  Silver  Rings   25 

Navajo  Silversmiths  Working   28 

Pueblo  Indian  Family,  Showing  Ring-wearing   29 

Autograph  Letter  of  Admiral  Robert  E.  Peary   30 

Roman  Rings;  Charioteer's  Ring   32 

Isis  and  Serapis  Ring;  Decade  Ring;  Supposed  Head  of  Plotina  on 

Ring;  Key  Rings   33 

Memorial  Rings  and  Poison  Ring   44 

Cameo  of  Louis  XII;  Nelson  Ring;  Napoleon  Elba  Ring   45 

Hands  on  Egyptian  Mummy  Case;  Hands  from  Portrait;  Hand  Showing 

Hindu  Jewels   50 

Hands  from  Sepulchral  Effigy;  Illustrating  Ring-wearing   51 

Upper  Part  of  Mummy  Case  of  Artemidora,  Showing  Rings  on  Hand.  .  52 
Sketch  by  Sir  Charles  Hercules  Read  of  Finger  of  Bronze  Statue 

WITH  Seal  Ring   53 

Portrait  of  a  Lady  by  Anton  Van  Dyke   60 

Portrait  of  Princess  Hatzfeld  by  Antonio  Pesaro   61 

Anglo-Saxon  Rings   64 

Thumb  Ring;  Prankish  and  Lombardic  Rings   65 

The  "Lorscher  Ring";  Ring  with  Mouse;  Venetian  Ring;  Jeweller's 

Ring-rod   72 

Spur  Ring;  Modern  Egyptian  Rings;  Pipe-stopper  Ring   73 

Oriental  Rings    78 

Rich  East  Indian  Ring;  Rings  Made  by  Siamese  Priest   79 

Indian  Toe  Rings   80 

Portrait  of  Rich  Cinghalese  Merchant  with  Many  Rings   81 

Ring  of  President  Franklin  Pierce;  Old  Rings  Combined  as  Pendant  84 

Rings  in  Drake  Collection   85 

Rings  from  Collection  of  W.  Gedney  Beatty,  Esq   92 

XV 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Types  of  Watch  Rings   93 

Portrait  of  a  Man,  Fifteenth  Century,  by  Antonio  del  Pollaiolo, 

Showing  Pointed  Diamond  in  Ring   98 

Portrait  of  a  Venetian  Senator  with  Thumb  Ring   99 

Portrait  of  a  Man  by  Lucas  Cranach   118 

Portrait  of  Katharina  Aeder,  by  Hans  Bock  the  Elder   119 

Portrait  of  Cardinal  of  Brandenburg,  by  the  "Master  of  the  Death 

OF  Mary"   124 

Portrait  of  a  Mother  and  Her  Daughter,  by  Bartholomew  Bruyn  125 

Ancient  Roman  Seal  Rings;  Key  Ring.  .  .  . :   132 

Roman  Rings  of  Bronze  and  of  Bone;  Roman  Gold  Ring  with  Settings; 

Gold  Ring  from  Wiston,  Sussex;  Roman  Silver  Ring   133 

Bronze  Signet  Rings;  Ivory  Signet  Ring   136 

Gold  Signet,  Sixteenth  Century;  Massive  Gold  Signet,  English,  Fif- 
teenth Century   137 

Man's  Portrait,  by  Conrad  Faber;  Portrait  of  Benedikt  von  Hekten- 

stein,  by  Hans  Holbein   148 

Man  and  Woman  at  Casement.  Florentine,  Fifteenth  Century   149 

Rings  from  Collection  of  Imperial  Kunstgewerbe  Museum,  Vienna  156 

Signet  Ring  of  Charles  1   157 

Ring  with  Portrait,  Given  to  Lafayette  by  Washington;  Impression  of 
President  Wilson's  Signet  Ring;  Seal  of  Right  Reverend  David  H. 

Greer,  Bishop  of  New  York   160 

Portrait  of  a  Lady,  Cologne  School,  1526,  Wearing  Pointed  Dia- 
mond  168 

Man's  Portrait,  by  Hans  Funk,  1523,  with  Seal  Ring   169 

"Campaign  Medals"  of  Henri  II  and  of  John  Casimir,  Count  Palatine, 

with  Pointed  Diamonds   170 

Portrait  of  Diane  de  Poitiers   171 

Portrait  of  Henry  VIII,  by  Hans  Holbein   182 

Portrait  of  Jane  Seymour,  by  Holbein   183 

Portrait  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  French  School   184 

Portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  by  Lucas  de  Heere   185 

Gold  Ring,  Cameo  Portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth;  Venetian  Ring  with 

Pearls;  Multiple  Silver  Rings   186 

Puzzle  Rings   187 

Portrait  of  a  Lady,  by  Pantoja  de  la  Cruz   194 

Portrait  of  Empress  Mary,  Daughter  of  Charles  V,  by  Juan  Pantoja 

DE  LA  Cruz   195 

Inlaid  Antique  Ring;  Locket  Ring;  Antique  Syrian  Ring;  Roman 
Ring  with  Pointed  Diamond;  Silver  Ring  on  Bone  of  Finger,  from 

Saxon  Sepulchre   196 

Syrian  Wedding  Rings  of  Agate  and  Chalcedony   197 

Betrothal  of  the  Virgin,  by  Juan  Rodriguez  Juarez  (Xuarez)   202 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xvii 

Hands  from  the  Preceding  Picture   203 

Jewish  Betrothal  Rings,  Musee  de  Cluny   212 

Jewish  Rings  from  British  Museum   213 

Portrait  of  Anne  of  Cleves,  by  Hans  Holbein,  Showing  Thumb  Ring  216 
Portrait  of  Judith,  by  Lucas  Cranach,  Rings  Worn  Under  Gloves  217 
Ring  with  Diamond  for  Writing  on  Glass;  Gallo-Roman  Wedding  Ring; 

Signet  and  Wedding  Ring  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots   218 

Betrothal  Rings;  Gimmal  Wedding  Ring.  .   219 

GiMMAL  Ring;  Betrothal  Ring;  Puzzle  Ring   220 

Wedding  Rings  with  Posies  ,  221 

Portrait  of  Clara  Eugenia,  Daughter  of  Philip  II  of  Spain,  by  Gonzales  222 
Portrait  of  Catarina  Michela,  Another  of  Philip's  Daughters,  by 

CoELLO  Sanchez   223 

Engagement  and  Wedding  Rings   230 

Wedding  Rings  ,   231 

Marriage  Medals  by  Oscar  Roty   232 

Puzzle  Ring;  Gold  Betrothal  Ring;  Ornamental  Love  Ring   233 

Portrait  of  Young  Woman,  Dutch  School   240 

Portrait  of  a  Man,  by  the  "Master  of  the  Death  of  Mary"   241 

Rings,  Italian,  French,  Tyrolese,  in  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine 

Arts   246 

Jacques  Guay,  Gem  Engraver  of  Louis  XV,  at  Work  in  the  Louvre.  .  247 

Ring  of  Pius  II,  ^Eneas  Sylvius   262 

The  "Fisherman's  Ring";  Hand  of  Cranach's  "Judith,"  with  Gloves 

Slit  for  Rings   263 

Portrait  of  Clement  IX,  by  Carlo  Maratta   268 

Portrait  of  Julius  II,  by  Rafael   269 

Christian  Ring  of  Glass;  Venetian  Relic  Ring;  Poison  Ring;  Ring  of 

Bishop  Ahlstan   270 

Memorial  Rings   271 

Bishops'  Rings;  Papal  Ring;  Rosary  Rings   272 

Bishops'  Rings   273 

Abbess  Praying,  French  School  ^ .  280 

Lady's  Portrait,  by  Coninxbo    281 

Rings  with  Greek  Mottoes;  Ring  of  Bronze  Gilt   300 

Oriental  Rings   301 

The  "Hermit  Stone,"  from  Lapidario  of  Alfonso  X   304 

The  "Offspring  Stone,  "  from  Lapidario  of  Alfonso  X   305 

Chinese  Jeweller's  Shop  in  San  Francisco;  Modern  Chinese  Rings  320 
Specimens  of  Curious  Ring  Collection  in  American  Museum  of  Natural 

History,  New  York;  Rings  from  Philippine  Islands   321 

Zodiacal  Rings   328 

Magic  Rings   329 

Masonic  Rings   332 


xviii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Rings  of  Orders  and  Societies   333 

Edward  the  Confessor's  Ring;  Healing  Ring   342 

Curious  Woodcuts  Regarding  Rings,  from  the  Ortus  (Hortus)  Sani- 

TATis  of  Johannis  de  Cuba   343 

Astrolabe  Ring;  Watch-Ring  by  Kossek  in  Prague   352 

Eighteenth  Century  Watch  Ring;  Modern  Watch  Ring   353 

Production  of  Rings  with  Precious  Stones  by  Means  of  Machinery  356 

Successive  Stages  in  the  Formation  of  a  Machine-made  Ring   357 

The  "Allen  Ring  Gauge"  for  Measuring  Rings   358 


Ring,  Finger  and  Millimeter  Locking  Gauge";  "Display  Rings"..  359 


RINGS 


I 

THE  ORIGIN,  PURPOSES  AND  METHODS 
OF  RING  WEARING 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 

THE  origin  of  the  ring  is  somewhat  obscure,  although 
there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  cylindrical  seal  which  was  first  worn  attached 
to  the  neck  or  to  the  arm  and  was  eventually  reduced  in 
size  so  that  it  could  be  worn  on  the  finger.  Signet  rings 
were  used  in  Egypt  from  a  very  remote  period,  and  we 
read  in  Gen.  xl,  42,  that  the  Pharaoh  of  Joseph's  time 
bestowed  a  ring  upon  the  patriarch  as  a  mark  of 
authority.  From  Egypt  the  custom  of  wearing  rings 
was  transmitted  to  the  Greek  world,  and  also  to  the 
Etruscans,  from  whom  the  usage  was  derived  by  the 
Romans.  The  Greek  rings  were  made  of  various  ma- 
terials, such  as  gold,  silver,  iron,  ivory,  and  amber. 

In  his  Natural  History,  Pliny  relates  the  Greek 
fable  of  the  origin  of  the  ring.  For  his  impious  daring 
in  stealing  fire  from  heaven  for  mortal  man,  Prometheus 
had  been  doomed  by  Jupiter  to  be  chained  for  30,000 
years  to  a  rock  in  the  Caucasus,  while  a  vulture  fed 
upon  his  liver.  Before  long,  however,  Jupiter  relented 
and  liberated  Prometheus;  nevertheless,  in  order  to 
avoid  a  violation  of  the  original  judgment,  it  was 
ordained  that  the  Titan  should  wear  a  link  of  his  chain 

1 


2 


RINGS 


on  one  of  his  fingers  as  a  ring,  and  in  this  ring  was  set  a 
fragment  of  the  rock  to  which  he  had  been  chained,  so 
that  he  might  be  still  regarded  as  bound  to  the  Caucasian 
rock. 

Another  origin  ascribed  to  the  ring  is  the  knot.  A 
knotted  cord  or  a  piece  of  wire  twisted  into  a  knot  was 
a  favorite  charm  in  primitive  times.  Frequently  this 
was  used  to  cast  a  spell  over  a  person,  so  as  to  deprive 
him  of  the  use  of  one  of  his  limbs  or  one  of  his  faculties ; 
at  other  times,  the  power  of  the  charm  was  directed 
against  the  evil  spirit  which  was  supposed  to  cause 
disease  or  lameness,  and  in  this  case  the  charm  had 
curative  power.  It  has  been  conjectured  that  the  magic 
virtues  attributed  to  rings  originated  in  this  way,  the 
ring  being  regarded  as  a  simplified  form  of  a  knot; 
indeed,  not  infrequently  rings  were  and  are  made  in  the 
form  of  knots. ^  This  symbol  undoubtedly  signified  the 
binding  or  attaching  of  the  spell  to  its  object,  and  the 
same  idea  is  present  in  the  true-lovers'  knot. 

Many  rings  of  the  Bronze  Age  were  found  in  the 
course  of  excavations  conducted  in  1901  by  M.  Henri 
de  Morgan  in  the  valley  of  Agha  Evlar,  stretching 
back  from  Kerghan  on  the  Caspian  Sea,  in  the  region 
known  as  the  "  Persian  Talyche."  Here  several  sepul- 
chral dolmens  were  discovered  which  yielded  a  con- 
siderable number  of  ornamental  objects  of  metal  and 
stone,  as  well  as  beads  of  vitreous  paste.  There  was 
no  trace  of  inscriptions  to  aid  in  dating  these 
"  Scythian  "  finds,  but  they  are  considered  to  belong 
to  the  second  millennium  before  Christ.  The  bronze 
rings  are  of  several  different  types,  some  of  them  show- 
ing from  three  to  five  spirals;  in  other  cases  the  ends 


Fossey,  "  La  magie  assyrienne,"  Paris,  1902,  p.  83. 


EVOLUTION  OF  THE  FINGER  RING 
1,  Egyptian  seal  ring.  2,  Greek  snake  ring,  found  at  Kertch  in  the  Crimea.  3,  antique  Roman  ring 
(Berlin  Antiquarium).  4,  Romano-Etruscan  ring.  5,  Roman  key  ring.  6,  Gothic  ring  with  stone  set  on 
raised  bezel.  7,  Gothic  ring  with  cabochon-cut  stone.  8,  Renaissance  ring  with  enamel  decoration. 
9,  Hebrew  wedding  ring.  10,  Renaissance  ring.  11,  Renaissance  ring.  12,  coat  of  arms  of  the  Medici, 
three  interlinked  stones,  each  set  with  a  natural  pointed  diamond  crystal 


Greek  silver  ring.  Engraved  de-  Roman  ring  of  opaque  dark  glass, 
sign  beneath  a  sunk  border;  draped  Fourth  Century  a.d. 

figure  of  a  girl  holding  out  a  dove  British  Museum 

British  Museum 


Mycenaean   gold   rings.     1,  from 
lalysos,  Rhodes;  given  to  the  British 
Museum  in  1870  by  John  Ruskin; 
2,  from  excavation  at  Enkomi,  1896 
British  Museum 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


3 


are  overlapping,  or  else  brought  together  as  closely 
as  possible.^ 

Although  it  would  scarcely  be  safe  to  assume  that 
finger-rings  were  never  worn  by  the  ancient  Assyrians, 
still  the  almost  total  absence  of  representations  of  them, 
even  on  female  figures,  renders  it  safe  to  say  that  this 
must  have  been  only  very  rarely  the  case.  Possibly  the 
persistence  in  Assyria  and  Babylonia  of  the  cylindrical 
form  of  seal  may  account  for  this,  in  part  at  least,  for 
the  signet  ring  in  many  places  was  evolved  from  the 
cylinder-seal.  Moreover,  the  absence  of  small  intaglios 
in  the  period  earlier  than  500  B.C.  would  have  deprived 
a  ring  of  its  almost  essential  setting.  The  plates  in 
Layard's  great  work  on  Assyrian  remains,  as  well  as 
those  published  by  Flandrin  and  Coste,  also  offer  strong 
negative  evidence,  although  Dr.  William  Hayes  Ward 
states  that  he  would  have  expected  finger-rings  might 
have  come  from  Egypt  by  the  way  of  Syria.  At  a 
later  period,  under  Greek  influence,  rings  were  not 
uncommon.^  In  the  immense  cemeteries  at  Warka  and 
elsewhere  numerous  iron  rings  have  been  found,  many 
of  them  toe-rings,  as  well  as  some  made  of  shell,  but 
the  date  of  these  burials  is  not  easily  determined,  and 
they  are  probably,  in  most  instances,  not  of  much  earlier 
date  than  the  eighth  or  even  the  sixth  century  before 
Christ. 

A  proof  that  genuine  antiques  can  still  be  picked  up 
in  our  day  in  the  East  is  given  by  Doctor  Ward,  who 
said  that  he  bought  in  Bagdad  a  lovely  gold  ring  set 
with  a  cameo  on  which  was  inscribed  in  Greek  char- 

^  Delegation  en  Perse,  Memoires  publics  sous  la  direction  de 
M.  J.  de  Morgan,  vol.  viii,  "  Recherches  archeologiques,"  3d  ser., 
Paris,  1905,  pp.  321,  322 ;  figured  on  p.  320. 

^  Communicated  by  the  late  Dr.  William  Hayes  Ward. 


4 


RINGS 


acters  "  Protarchus  made  it."  When,  on  visiting 
London,  he  told  this  to  Doctor  Murray,  of  the  British 
Museum,  the  latter  gave  full  expression  to  his  scep- 
ticism, saying,  "  There  are  plenty  of  those  signed 
things."  But  when  the  gem  itself  was  shown  him,  he 
exclaimed,  "  This  is  jolly  genuine,"  and  he  had  it 
photographed  for  his  book.* 

A  very  interesting  find  was  made  in  1890,  during 
the  excavations  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  at  Nippur.  In  the  north- 
western part  of  the  mound,  as  many  as  730  inscribed 
tablets  were  unearthed,  which  had  been  carefully  stored 
in  a  chamber  measuring  eighteen  by  nine  feet.  These 
tablets,  when  deciphered,  proved  that  the  chamber  was 
the  record  room  of  the  sons  of  a  certain  Murashu,  Bel- 
hatin  and  Bel-nadin-shumu,  whose  activity  seems  to 
have  been  analogous  to  that  of  our  counsellors-at-law. 
Many  of  the  tablets  bear  records  concerning  the  mem- 
bers of  the  family  personally,  but  in  other  cases  their 
services  appear  to  have  been  claimed  in  various  legal 
difficulties.  One  of  the  most  curious  of  these  ancient 
documents  is  a  contract  dated  the  eighth  of  the  month 
of  Elul,  in  the  year  429  B.C.  (thirty-fifth  year  of  Arta- 
xerxes  I  of  Persia),  in  which  Bel-ah-iddina,  Belshumu, 
and  Hatin  give  the  following  guarantee  to  Bel-nadin- 
shumu,  son  of  Murashu: 

As  concerns  the  gold  ring  set  with  an  emerald,  we  guarantee 
that  in  twenty  years  the  emerald  will  not  fall  out  of  the  gold 
ring.  If  the  emerald  should  fall  out  of  the  gold  ring  before  the 
end  of  twenty  years,  Bel-ah-iddina,  Belshumu,  and  Hatin  shall 
pay  unto  Bel-nadin-shumu  an  indemnity  of  ten  mana  of  silver. 

The  record  bears  the  names  of  seven  witnesses  and 


^  Communicated  by  the  late  Dr.  William  Hayes  Ward. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


5 


that  of  the  scribe,  and  is  signed  with  the  thumb-nail 
marks  of  those  who  guaranteed  the  jewel,  "  instead  of 
their  seals."  ^ 

It  seems  that  we  have  here  the  names  of  the  members 
of  a  firm  of  jewellers  doing  business  in  Nippur,  in  the 
fifth  century  before  Christ,  and  evidently  they  were 
quite  confident  that  the  work  they  sold  was  well  and 
solidly  done,  for  the  indemnity  represented  a  sum  equiva- 
lent to  about  $400  in  our  money.  This  must  have  been 
the  estimated  value  of  the  emerald.  As  the  stone  was 
probably  not  very  large,  this  particular  gem  must  have 
been  highly  valued  at  that  time,  a  fact  due,  in  all  likeli- 
hood, to  the  special  talismanic  virtues  attributed  to  it. 

Several  gold  rings  of  Egyptian  workmanship,  ex- 
cavated in  tombs  at  Enkomi,  Cyprus,  date  back  to  the 
time  of  the  Middle  Empire  in  Egypt.  One  in  pale  gold, 
now  in  the  British  Museum,  has  a  flat  oval  bezel,  in- 
scribed "  Maat,  the  golden  one  of  the  two  lands."  This 
belongs  to  the  period  from  the  XIX  to  the  XXI 
Dynasty  (or  approximately  from  1350  to  1000  B.C.). 
A  ring  found  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  of  electrum 
and  very  massive,  and  is  engraved  with  a  draped  figure 
seated  on  a  throne,  to  whom  approaches  another  figure 
clothed  with  a  lion's  skin  and  wearing  on  the  head  a 
disk  and  horns ;  a  lion  walking  is  in  the  exergue,  and  the 
sun's  disk  is  above  the  two  figures.  This  is  believed  to 
belong  to  the  late  XVIII  Dynasty,  toward  1400  B.C. 
A  thin,  rounded  hoop  of  pale  gold,  the  ends  of  which 
are  twisted  round  each  other,  and  a  rounded  hoop  of 
yellow  gold  engraved  with  four  ursei,  are  two  other  ex- 

^  Hilprecht  and  Clay,  "  Business  Documents  of  Murashu 
Sons  of  Nippur  " :  The  Babylonian  expedition  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  Series  A :  Cuneiform  texts,  vol.  ix,  Philadelphia, 
1898,  p.  30. 


6 


RINGS 


amples  in  the  British  Museum  of  the  rings  from  Enkomi. 
A  massive  silver  ring  from  the  same  place  has  a  large 
oval  bezel  with  the  following  names  and  titles  inscribed 
in  Egyptian  hieroglyphics:  Ra-Heru-Khuti,  Ra- 
Kheperu  Nefer,  Meri-Ra,  Ptah-neb-nut-maat.^  The 
Cypriot  gold  ornaments  which  these  rings  help  to  date 
are  considered  to  be  essentially  contemporary  with  those 
from  the  tombs  in  the  lower  town  of  Mycenae,  the  period 
being  approximately  1300-1100  B.C.,  possibly  some  years 
earlier  or  later. 

A  beautifully  worked,  perforated  gold  ring,  set  with 
a  scarab  of  carnelian,  was  found  in  Cyprus  and  is  now 
in  the  Konstantinidis  Collection  at  Nicosia.  The  work- 
manship as  well  as  the  style  of  the  setting  indicates  that 
it  was  produced  in  the  sixth  century  B.C.  Engraved  on 
the  carnelian  is  a  fabulous  monster,  somewhat  resembling 
a  chimsera,  half  lion,  half  boar.*^  Another  ring  of  the 
same  period  from  Marion- Arsinoe,  Cyprus,  has  a  silver 
hoop,  and  is  set  with  a  flat  scaraboid,  engraved  with  a 
female  figure  kneeling. 

One  of  the  largest  Mycenaean  rings  shows  a  goddess 
seated  near  a  tree,  and  worshippers  approaching  to  do 
her  homage.  Others  offer  various  devices :  an  altar  with 
worshippers;  a  griffin  and  a  seated  divinity;  a  pair  of 
sphinxes;  griffins,  bulls'  heads,  etc.,  in  heraldic  order- 

®  F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  .  .  .  British  Museum," 
London,  1907,  pp.  1,  2,  997  (see  pi.  xx)  ;  also  the  same  author's 
Catalogue  of  the  Jewellery  Greek,  Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the 
.    .    .    British  Museum,  London,  1911,  p.  xvii. 

Max  Ohnefalsch-Richter,  "  Kypros,  the  Bible,  and  Homer," 
London,  1893,  vol.  i,  p.  367,  and  vol.  ii,  plate  xxxii,  fig.  S2, 


THE  ORIGIN  OP  THE  RING 


7 


ing.®  Here  we  have  early  Greek  art  transforming  and 
adapting  Oriental  forms  of  metal  engraving,  to  be  suc- 
ceeded, more  than  five  centuries  later,  by  the  great  gem- 
engravings  of  the  palmy  days  of  the  art  of  Ionia  and 
Greece. 

Among  the  Cyprian  rings  of  the  Mycengean  period, 
about  1000  B.c,^  in  the  British  Museum,  is  a  double  gold 
ring  which  had  been  evidently  inlaid  with  some  vitreous 
substance,  ail  but  faint  traces  of  which  have  now  disap- 
peared. This  was  found  in  a  site  near  Famagusta, 
Cyprus,  that  has  been  satisfactorily  identified  with  the 
spot  where  the  Greeks  under  Teucer  are  said  to  have 
established  a  settlement  on  their  return  from  the  siege 
of  Troy.  Other  gold  rings  discovered  here  at  the  same 
time,  in  1896,  have  plain  hoops,  with  a  small  cylindrical 
ornament  strung  on  the  hoop,  to  serve  in  place  of  a  bezel 
with  setting.  Still  another  of  these  rings  has,  on  one 
side,  an  extension  squared  off  at  the  corners,  making  a 
long  and  narrow  flat  surface  on  the  outside  of  the  hoop; 
along  its  edge  runs  a  beaded  ornamentation.^ 

The  oldest  Greek  ring  bearing  an  inscription  is  one 
believed  to  belong  to  the  late  Mycenaean  period.  The 
gold  hoop  has  engraved  upon  it  the  Cypriot  syllables 
Le-na-ko,  possibly  meaning  the  name  Lenagoras.  It 
was  found  with  other  ornaments  in  a  grave  near  Lanarka, 
Cyprus. The  similarity  of  the  name  Lanarka  with  the 

^  Strena  Helbigena,  73 ;  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  vol.  xxi, 
p.  155,  fig.  33;  p.  159,  fig.  39;  Schliemann  Mycenae  and  Tiryns, 
pp.  354,  360. 

®  See  F.  H.  Marshall,  op.  cit,,  p.  3 ;  rings  from  Enkomi, 
Cyprus. 

■^^  Pauly's  Real  Encyclopadie  der  Altertumswissenschaft, 
vol.  ix,  pt.  i,  col.  827;  Stuttgart,  1914;  Marshall,  Catalogue 
of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek,  Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the 
British  Museum,  London,  1907,  No.  574. 


8 


RINGS 


phonetic  value  of  the  inscribed  signs  might  perhaps 
suggest  that  a  place  name  rather  than  a  person's  name 
is  signified.  That  in  ancient  times  several  cities  had 
their  special  signets  is  proved  by  a  Greek  inscription  as 
to  the  cities  of  Smyrna,  Magnesia,  and  Sipylum/^ 

Pliny  already  remarked  the  fact  that  nowhere  in  the 
Homeric  poems  is  any  mention  made  of  rings  or  of  seals. 
This  is  the  more  singular  that  we  have  so  much  positive 
evidence  in  Cretan  and  Myceneean  remains  that  rings 
were  known  to  a  part  of  the  Greek  world  for  a  long  time 
prior  to  the  composition  of  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey. 
Probably  due  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  individual 
preference  of  the  poet,  or  school  of  poets,  to  whom  we 
owe  these  masterpieces  of  ancient  literature.  In  our 
own  day,  the  present  writer  in  his  researches  has  often 
been  disappointed  to  find  nothing  concerning  precious 
stones  or  jewels  in  a  given  work  treating  of  a  subject 
that  would  invite  their  mention,  the  obvious  reason  being 
that  the  author  cared  little  or  nothing  for  such  things, 
and  hence  passed  over,  unnoticed,  all  data  regarding 
them.  Nevertheless,  the  metal-worker's  art  evidently  ap- 
pealed strongly  to  the  author  (or  authors)  of  the 
Homeric  epics,  as  is  shown  in  many  places,  notably  in 
the  long  description  of  the  representations  on  the  elab- 
orately wrought  shield  made  by  Vulcan  for  Achilles  ( II., 
xviii,  478-608). 

Certainly  the  traditions  of  Homeric  times,  recorded 
by  later  Greek  writers,  tell  of  several  rings  worn  by 
Homeric  personages.  A  ring  of  Ulysses,  engraved  with 
a  dolphin  by  order  of  the  wily  hero,  in  memory  of  the 
rescue  of  his  son  Telemachus  by  one  of  the  creatures  of 
the  deep,  is  mentioned  by  Plutarch   ("De  solertia 


Corpus  inscriptionum  Grsecamm,  3137,  i,  87  sq. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


9 


anim.").  Moreover,  Helen  of  Troy  is  stated  to  have 
worn  on  one  of  her  fingers  a  ring  bearing  the  figure  of 
an  "  enormous  fish/'  and,  finally,  the  great  Greek 
painter  Polygnotus,  a  contemporary  of  Pericles  (495- 
429  B.C.),  in  a  painting  showing  the  descent  of  Ulysses 
into  Hades,  represented  the  youthful  Phocus  as  wearing 
a  ring,  set  with  an  engraved  gem,  on  one  of  the  fingers 
of  his  left  hand.^^  This  painting  was  highly  reputed  in 
ancient  times,  and  had  been  dedicated  to  Apollo  in  the 
shrine  at  Delphi  by  the  Cnidians. 

The  significance  of  the  ring  in  the  fourth  century 
before  Christ,  as  an  ensign  of  office  in  Athens,  is  brought 
out  by  a  passage  in  the  "  Knights  "  of  the  comic  poet 
Aristophanes,  where  the  people,  as  an  expression  of  their 
discontent  with  the  administration  of  Kleon,  demand  that 
he  surrender  the  ring  with  which  he  has  been  invested,  as 
a  proof  that  he  is  no  longer  entrusted  with  the  office  of 
treasurer/^ 

A  clever  use  of  a  ring  is  reported  to  have  been  made 
by  Ismenias  of  Thebes,  when  he  was  sent  by  the  Boeotians 
as  an  envoy  to  the  Persian  King.  Before  he  was  brought 
into  the  royal  presence  he  was  instructed  by  the  master 
of  ceremonies  that  he  must  prostrate  himself  before  the 
sovereign.  This  act  was  strongly  repugnant  to  his  Greek 
consciousness,  both  as  a  debasement  of  his  individual 
dignity,  and  as  an  act  of  divine  homage  offered  to  a 
mortal.  To  escape  from  the  dilemma,  the  envoy,  as  he 
approached  the  throne,  took  off  his  ring  and  succeeded 
in  dropping  it  without  attracting  too  much  attention; 
whereupon  he  stooped  and  picked  it  up.  The  Greek 
onlookers  understood  the  meaning  of  his  action,  while 

Le  Brun-Dalbanne,  "  Les  Pierres  gravees  du  tresor  de  la 
cathedrale  de  Troyes,"  Paris,  1880,  p.  32. 

Aristophanes,  "  Knights,"  Act  II,  sc.  4. 


10 


RINGS 


the  Persians  believed  that  he  had  satisfactorily  con- 
formed to  the  court  ceremonial.  His  little  ruse  was 
rewarded  by  a  favorable  reception  of  his  requests  by 
the  Persian  King,  who  had  long  been  offended  by  the 
obstinate  refusal  of  the  Greeks  to  render  him  the  homage 
he  regarded  as  his  due.^^ 

The  iron  ring  of  the  Romans,  accounted  for  in 
popular  fancy  by  the  tale  of  the  rock  and  link  ring  of 
Prometheus,  probably  came  to  the  Romans  from  the 
Etruscans,  who  appear  to  have  owed  the  fashion  to  the 
Greeks,  and  Pliny  notes  in  his  "  Naturalis  Historia," 
written  about  75  a.d.,  that  even  then  the  Lacedaemonians, 
with  true  Spartan  sobriety,  still  wore  iron  rings/ ^ 
Roman  tradition  carried  back  the  introduction  of  such 
rings  to  the  age  of  Numa  Pompilius,  about  700  B.C.,  and 
there  is  evidence  that,  at  a  later  time  at  least,  they  were 
regarded  as  symbols  of  victory  when  worn  on  the  hand 
of  a  successful  general,  a  late  instance  being  the  wearing 
of  an  iron  ring  by  Marius  at  his  triumph  for  the  victory 
over  Jugurtha  in  107  b.c.^^ 

The  progressive  changes  in  the  Roman  regulations 
and  customs  governing  the  wearing  of  rings  and  the 
material  of  which  they  should  be  made  have  been  stated 
in  a  concise  and  convenient  form  by  M.  Deloche,  and 
his  conclusions  are  of  considerable  value,  based  as  they 
are  upon  a  very  careful  study  of  the  classic  sources  and 
their  best  interpreters  in  the  past.^^ 

JEliani,  "  Varia  historia,"  Lib.  I,  cap.  xxi. 
Lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  iv. 
Ibid.,  loc.  cit. 

M.  Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  anneaux  dans  I'antiquite 
romaine,  et  dans  les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age  " ;  extrait  des 
Memoires  de  I'Academie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles  Lettres,  vol. 
XXXV,  Paris,  1896,  pp.  4,  5. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


11 


The  iron  ring,  the  only  one  originally,  was  at  first 
regarded  as  a  mark  of  individual  honor,  awarded  by  the 
sovereign  or  in  his  name.  From  the  earliest  times  of 
the  Roman  Republic,  a  senator  sent  on  an  embassy  re- 
ceived a  gold  ring,  all  other  senators  being  restricted  to 
iron  ones.  Soon,  however,  senators  of  noble  birth,  and, 
later  on,  all  senators  without  distinction,  enjoyed  the 
right  of  wearing  gold  rings.  In  the  third  century  B.C. 
this  privilege  was  then  extended  to  the  knights,  and  in 
the  last  years  of  the  Republic,  as  well  as  under  the  em- 
perors, many  other  classes  of  citizens  were  made  par- 
takers of  the  privilege,  so  that  before  long  even  some 
freedmen  and  certain  of  those  pursuing  the  least  repu- 
table vocations  were  permitted  the  enjoyment  of  a  dis- 
tinction once  so  jealously  guarded. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  third  century  a.d.  all 
Roman  soldiers  could  lawfully  wear  gold  rings,  although 
in  the  late  Republican  and  earlier  Imperial  periods  this 
right  was  accorded  only  to  the  military  tribunes.  Thus, 
finally,  all  class  distinctions  in  this  respect  were  done 
away  with.  Every  freeborn  man  could  wear  a  gold  ring, 
freedmen,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were  confined  to  silver 
rings,  and  the  iron  ring  became  the  badge  of  slavery. 

After  the  battle  of  Cannse  (August  2,  216  B.C.), 
in  which  the  Romans  were  totally  defeated  by  Han- 
nibal, the  Carthaginian  leader  ordered  that  the  gold 
rings  should  be  taken  from  the  hands  of  the  dead  Ro- 
mans and  heaped  up  in  the  vestibule  of  his  quarters. 
Enough  were  collected  to  fill  a  bushel  basket  (some 
authorities  say  three  bushel  baskets) ,  and  they  were  sent 
to  Carthage,  not  as  valuable  spoils  of  war,  but  as  proof 
of  the  great  slaughter  among  the  Roman  patricians  and 
knights,  for  at  this  time  none  beneath  the  rank  of  knights, 
and  only  those  of  highest  standing  among  them,  those 


12 


RINGS 


provided  with  steeds  by  the  State  {equo  publico),  had 
been  given  the  right  to  wear  gold  rings/^ 

On  days  of  national  mourning  the  gold  rings  were 
laid  aside  as  a  mark  of  sorrow  and  respect,  and  iron  rings 
were  substituted.  This  was  the  case  after  the  defeat  at 
Cannae  in  216  B.C.  and  on  the  funeral  day  of  Augustus 
Cffisar  in  15  a.d.  This  usage  is  noted  in  one  of  the  poet 
Juvenal's  satires.^  ^  Occasionally,  as  a  mark  of  disap- 
probation, senators  would  remove  their  gold  rings  at  a 
public  sitting,  as,  for  instance,  when,  in  305  B.C.,  the 
appointment  as  edile  of  Cneius  Flavins,  son  of  the  f  reed- 
man  Annius,  was  announced  in  the  Senate. 

In  Rome  supplicants  took  off  their  rings  as  a  mark 
of  humility,  or  a  sign  of  sadness.  When  the  censors 
C.  Claudius  Pulcher  and  Titus  Sempronius  Gracchus 
were  cited  by  the  tribune  Rutilius  as  guilty  of  a  crime 
against  the  State,  Claudius  was  condemned  by  eight  of 
the  twelve  centuries  of  Knights.  At  this,  many  of  the 
principal  personages  of  the  Senate,  taking  off  their  gold 
rings  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  citizens,  put  on 
mourning  garments,  and  raised  supplications  in  favor 
of  the  accused  persons.^ ^ 

Another  instance  of  this  usage  with  suppliants  is 
shown  in  a  recital  of  Valerius  Maximus,  wherein  he 
relates  that  when,  about  55  B.C.,  Aulus  Gabinius  was 
violently  accused  by  the  tribune  Memmius,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  little  hope  that  he  would  escape  punish- 
ment, his  son  Sisenna  cast  himself  as  a  suppliant  at  the 
feet  of  Memmius,  tearing  off  his  ring  at  the  same  time. 
This  mark  of  humiliation  finally  induced  Memmius  and 

Titi  Livii,  "  Ab  urbe  condita,"  lib.  xxiii,  cap.  xii. 
19  Sat.  iii,  lines  153-156. 

Titi  Livii,  "Ab  urbe  condita,"  lib.  xlii,  cap.  xvi. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


13 


his  fellow-tribune  Laslius  to  withdraw  the  accusation, 
and  set  Gabinius  at  liberty.^  ^ 

The  wearing  of  a  gold  ring,  because  it  was  a  sign  of 
patrician  and  later  of  free  birth,  had  such  a  high  value 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Romans  that  some  freedmen  used  the 
subterfuge  of  wearing  a  gold  ring  with  a  dark  coating, 
so  that  it  would  appear  to  be  of  iron.  Thus,  although 
they  neither  had  the  gratification  nor  incurred  the  perils 
of  wearing  a  symbol  confined  to  the  freebom,  they  had 
the  intimate  personal  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  was 
really  on  the  hand.^^^ 

From  the  rather  scant  evidence  that  has  come  down 
to  us,  it  appears  that  Roman  women  were  not  subjected 
to  as  strict  regulations  in  the  wearing  of  rings  of  precious 
metal  as  were  the  men.  The  wives  of  simple  plebeians 
who  were  in  good  circumstances  seem  as  generally  and 
freely  to  have  worn  them  as  the  wives  and  daughters  of 
senators  or  knights,  or  other  patrician  women.  Pliny 
writes  of  the  women  wearing  gold  on  every  finger.^  ^ 

In  Rome,  as  early  as  the  first  century,  at  a  time  when 
the  right  of  wearing  gold  rings  was,  as  has  been  shown, 
very  strictly  limited,  it  occasionally  happened  that  a 
famous  actor  was  accorded  this  privilege  by  the  special 
favor  of  some  influential  admirer  of  his  art.  Sulla 
granted  this  right  to  Roscius,  and  some  years  later,  in 
43  B.C.,  the  Roman  quaestor  in  Spain  bestowed  a  gold 
ring  upon  Herennius  Gallus  in  the  ancient  city  of  Gades, 
the  modern  Cadiz.  This  gave  him  the  right  to  occupy 
a  seat  in  one  of  the  first  fourteen  rows  at  the  theatre, 
the  part  reserved  for  the  knights.   This  special  privilege 

2^  Valerii  Maximi,  "  Factorum  et  dictorum  memorabilium 
libri  IX,"  lib.  viii,  cap.  i. 

^^^See  Plinii,  "  Naturalis  Historia,"  lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  xxiii. 
22  "  Naturalis  Historia,"  lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  xi. 


14 


RINGS 


was  accorded  to  the  actor  by  the  Lex  Roscia  of  67  B.C., 
conferring  the  ring  upon  Roscius.^^ 

Although  the  Christian  women  of  the  early  Christian 
centuries  were  taught  to  avoid  all  superfluous  adorn- 
ments, the  wearing  of  a  gold  ring  was  permitted  to  them. 
This  was  not,  however,  to  be  considered  as  an  ornament, 
but  was  simply  for  use  in  sealing  up  the  household  goods 
entrusted  to  a  wife's  care.  Nevertheless,  while  noting 
this  use,  Clemens  Alexandrinus  (ca.  150-oa.  217  a.d.) 
adds  that,  if  both  servants  and  masters  were  properly 
instructed  in  their  respective  duties  and  obligations, 
there  would  be  no  need  for  such  precautions.^^ 

The  dignity  conferred  by  the  right  to  wear  a  gold 
ring  is  even  noticed  in  the  Epistle  of  James,  where  we 
read  (ii,  2-4) : 

For  if  there  come  unto  your  assembly  a  man  with  a  gold 
ring,  in  goodly  apparel,  and  there  come  in  also  a  poor  man  in 
vile  raiment,  and  ye  have  respect  to  him  that  weareth  the  gay 
clothing,  and  say  unto  him,  Sit  thou  here  in  a  good  place; 
and  say  to  the  poor.  Stand  thou  there,  or  sit  here  under  my 
footstool ;  are  ye  not  then  partial  in  yourselves,  and  are  become 
judges  of  evil  thoughts? 

While  this  apostle  here,  as  elsewhere  in  his  epistle, 
warmly  espouses  the  cause  of  the  poor,  the  prominence 
he  gives  to  the  gold  ring  as  a  mark  of  the  rich  man,  and 
a  passport  to  the  place  of  honor  in  the  congregation,  is 
a  full  acknowledgment  of  the  impression  it  created  upon 
strangers,  just  as  the  ribbon  of  an  order  is  taken  as  a 

F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  .  .  .  British  Museum,  Lon- 
don, 1907,  p.  xix,  citing  Macrobius,  Saturnalia  III,  14,  13,  and 
Cicero,  Ad  Fam.  X,  2. 

2^  dementis  Alexandrini,  "  Psedagogus,"  lib.  iii,  cap.  ii. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


15 


proof  of  dignity  or  station  in  monarchial  countries 
to-day,  and  even  to  a  certain  extent  in  republican  France. 

The  custom  of  bestowing  birthday  rings  (anuli 
natalitii)  was  frequently  observed  in  imperial  Kome, 
and  a  rich  and  influential  personage,  with  many  friends 
and  clients,  would  receive  a  large  number  of  these  rings 
on  the  anniversary  day  of  his  birth.  As  a  rule,  a  setting 
of  white  sardonyx  seems  to  have  been  most  favored,  to 
judge  from  a  line  in  the  first  of  the  Satires  of  the  Latin 
poet  Persius  (34-62  a.d.). 

The  famous  decree  of  Justinian,  promulgated  in  539 
(Novella  78  of  the  Digest),  conferring  upon  freedmen 
the  right  of  wearing  gold  rings,  runs  as  follows : 

If  a  master,  on  freeing  his  slave,  has  declared  him  to  be  a 
Roman  citizen  (and  he  is  not  allowed  to  do  otherwise),  let  it  be 
known  that,  according  to  the  present  law,  he  whoi  shall  have 
received  his  liberty  shall  have  the  right  to  gold  rings  and  to 
regeneration,  and  shall  not  need  to  solicit  the  right  of  the  prince, 
or  to  take  any  other  steps  to  secure  it.  It  will  be  his  as  a  con- 
sequence of  his  liberation,  in  virtue  of  the  present  law,  which 
goes  into  effect  from  this  day. 

This  decree  shows  that,  as  is  proved  by  other  texts, 
freedmen  were  sometimes  accorded  the  privilege  of  wear- 
ing gold  rings  by  special  permission  of  the  ruler  or  State, 
but  all  who  could  not  obtain  such  special  permission 
were  punishable  if  they  ventured  to  wear  a  gold  ring, 
just  as  in  countries  where  State  orders  are  recognized 
and  protected  the  wearing  of  such  an  order  or  of  its 
ribbon  by  unauthorized  persons  is  punishable  in  some 
way.  The  "  right  of  regeneration  "  is  more  peculiar,  as 
this  refers  to  a  legal  fiction,  by  which  it  was  assumed 
that  some  one  of  the  ancestors  of  the  freedman  had  been 


Beck,  "  Corpus  juris  civilis,"  vol.  ii,  pp.  406,  407. 


16 


RINGS 


free-born;  hence,  the  quahty  of  free-birth  was  only  re- 
vived, not  created,  in  the  case  of  the  descendant.  This 
is,  after  all,  not  so  unreasonable  as  it  may  seem  to  be, 
for  the  slaves,  being  generally  prisoners  of  war,  or  else 
the  descendants  of  citizens  who  had  in  some  way  lost 
their  citizenship,  could  truly  claim,  in  a  majority  of 
instances,  that  they  came  of  free-born  stock. 

The  image  of  Mars  on  a  ring-stone  was  greatly 
favored  by  Roman  soldiers.  A  good  example  of  this 
style  of  ring  is  to  be  seen  at  the  National  Hungarian 
Museum  in  Budapest.  The  gem,  a  carnelian,  is  en- 
graved with  a  figure  of  the  god,  with  helmet  and  spear; 
his  left  hand  rests  on  a  shield  bearing  the  Medusa's  head. 
The  hoop  is  of  silver.  This  ring  was  found  in  Bosnia 
and  was  donated  to  the  museum  in  1820.^^ 

An  old  Roman  inscription  mentions  a  guild  of  ring- 
makers  {conlegium  anularium) and  the  denomination 
anularius  even  appears  as  a  proper  name  of  the  engraver 
of  a  signet  ring.^^  Near  the  Forum  was  a  flight  of  steps 
designated  scalce  anularice/^  indicating  either  that  ring 
engravers  or  vendors  were  to  be  found  there,  or  that  they 
had  their  shops  or  workshops  in  the  neighborhood. 

Treating  of  the  dictatorial  conduct  of  the  Procurator 
Verres,  Cicero,  in  his  violent,  we  might  almost  say  viru- 
lent arraignment  of  him,  were  it  not  so  well  deserved, 
says  that  when  Verres  wished  to  have  a  ring  made  for 
himself  he  ordered  that  a  goldsmith  should  be  summoned 
to  the  Forum,  publicly  weighed  out  the  gold  for  him, 

2^  Cimeliotheca  Musei  Nationalis  Hungarici,  sive  catalogus 
historico-criticus  antiquitatum,  raritatum,  et  pretiosorum — eius 
instituti,"  Budse,  1825,  p.  136. 

^  Corpus  inscriptionum  Latinarum,  vol.  i,  No.  1107. 

28  Ihid.,  vol.  xi.  No.  1235. 

29  Suetonii:  "Vita  Augusti,"  72. 


THR  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


17 


and  commanded  the  man  to  set  his  bench  down  in  the 
Forum  and  to  make  the  ring  in  the  presence  of  all.^^ 

Tacitus  states  in  his  Germania  that  the  most  valiant 
of  the  Cattse,  wore  "  Hke  a  fetter  "  an  iron  ring,  which 
was  a  mark  of  infamy  among  the  Germans.  Only  when 
a  warrior  had  killed  an  enemy  had  he  the  right  to  divest 
himself  of  this  ring.  Whether  this  was  a  tribal  usage, 
or  only  the  sign  of  an  obligation  voluntarily  assumed, 
must  be  left  to  conjecture.  It  is  supposed  to  evidence 
that  the  slaves  of  the  Germans  wore  iron  rings,  and  that 
thus  such  rings  were  looked  upon  as  badges  of  slavery.^^ 

Finger-rings  are  exceedingly  rare  among  the  remains 
of  the  prehistoric  American  peoples,  although  a  few  have 
been  found  in  the  Pueblo  ruins  of  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico.  These  are  usually  cut  out  of  shell.  Some  of 
them  are  skilfully  cut  from  Pectunculus  shells,  and 
others  from  "cone-shells"  (Conus).  Of  the  former 
kind  a  number  were  unearthed  at  Chaves  Pass,  Arizona.^ ^ 
Many  of  the  rings  were  incised  with  an  ornamental  de- 
sign; one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  these  was  decorated 
with  red  figures  representing  clouds  and  lightning.  This 
ring,  large  enough  to  fit  an  adult's  finger,  was  found, 
together  with  bones  of  a  human  hand,  in  one  of  the  pre- 
Columbian  graves,  at  Casa  Grande,  Arizona.    The  re- 

30  Cicero,  "  In  Verrem,"  iv,  25,  26. 

Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  anneaux  dans  I'antiquite  romaine, 
et  dans  les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age,"  Paris,  1896,  pp.  46, 
47 ;  extrait  des  Memoires  de  I'Academie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles 
Lettres,  vol.  xxxv,  part  ii. 

3^  Jesse  Walter  Fewkes,  "  Two  Summers'  Work  in  Pueblo 
Ruins,"  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  vol.  xxii,  pt.  i,  p.  91. 
Also  the  same  writer's  "  Casa  Grande,  Arizona,"  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology,  vol.  xxviii,  pp.  143,  144 ;  rings  figured  on 
pi.  Ixxv,  fig.  Ay  and  in  text  cut,  fig.  49. 
2 


18 


RINGS 


mains  here  also  yielded  a  ring  made  out  of  a  cone-shell, 
with  incised  decoration.  The  exceptionally  fine  speci- 
men noted  above  almost  certainly  had  a  religious  or 
talismanic  character,  and  it  may  have  been  thought  to 
protect  the  wearer  from  storms  and  thunderbolts. 

The  skill  with  which  the  shells  were  utilized  for  rings 
as  well  as  for  other  objects  of  adornment  must  have 
been  the  result  of  many  generations  of  experiment  and 
training,  springing  from  that  inherent  artistic  sense  so 
often  manifest  in  the  Indians  of  the  pueblos  in  contrast 
to  the  Indians  of  the  plains.  Often  the  circular  form 
was  already  present  in  the  shell,  and  this  was  utilized  by 
dividing  a  part  of  the  cone  into  sections,  thus  giving  rings 
of  varying  diameter.  The  material  was  then  smoothed 
and  polished,  and  either  left  plain  or  decorated  with  an 
incised  pattern,  into  the  outlines  of  which  appropriate 
coloring  matter  was  introduced.  In  other  cases,  when 
the  shell  material  did  not  offer  a  natural  circlet,  a  disk 
was  cut  out,  and  a  large  perforation  produced  the  rough 
circlet,  to  be  worked  up  later  into  a  finished  ring. 

The  attainable  evidence  in  regard  to  the  wearing  of 
rings  by  the  aborigines  of  North  and  South  America  is, 
in  the  main,  negative.  This  is  the  case  with  the  Pacific 
coast  Indians,  as  well  as  with  the  Chiriqui  graves  and 
other  ancient  remains  in  the  present  United  States  of 
Colombia.^^  Indeed,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  the 
wearing  of  rings  is  essentially  an  Oriental  fashion  and 
was  brought  to  the  ancient  peoples  of  Europe  from  the 
East.    Still,  here  and  there  on  the  North  American 

Communications  from  Prof.  George  Grant  McCurdy, 
Curator,  Anthropological  Section  of  Peabody  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  Yale  University,  and  from  Dr.  Frank  S. 
Daggett,  Director,  Museum  of  History,  Science  and  Art,  Los 
Angeles,  Cal. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


19 


continent,  as  in  the  instance  above  noted,  rings  have 
been  found  in  burials  believed  to  be  pre-Columbian. 

To  the  very  few  pre-Columbian  rings  found  in 
Indian  mounds,  belong  four  from  Ohio,  now  in  the 
collection  of  the  Ohio  State  Archseological  and  His- 
torical Society,  Columbus,  Ohio.  One  of  the  rings  was 
unearthed  twenty  years  ago  from  a  mound  in  Hamilton 
County;  it  is  of  spiral  form  and  was  on  the  middle 
finger  of  the  left  hand  of  a  skeleton.  The  three  others 
came  from  the  Adana  Mound,  two  of  them  being  spiral- 
rings,  both  found  on  the  middle  finger  of  a  skeleton's 
left  hand;  the  third  is  not  a  complete  circle,  and  was 
picked  up  at  the  base  of  the  mound.  The  spiral-rings 
are  very  finely  and  delicately  fashioned.^* 

The  Aztecs  of  ancient  Mexico  executed  many  orna- 
mental objects  of  gold,  silver,  copper  and  tin,  and  worked 
in  iron  and  lead  as  well.  Specimens  of  this  silversmiths' 
work  were  sent  by  Fernan  Cortes  to  Emperor  Charles  V, 
and  their  artistic  quality  elicited  the  admiration  of  the 
Spanish  jewellers.  These  seem  to  have  been  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  rich  booty  gathered  by  the  Spanish  Con- 
quistador, the  metal  worth  of  which  he  estimated  at 
100,000  ducats  ($250,000),  or  even  more,  according  to 
the  statement  in  a  letter  addressed  to  his  sovereign.  The 
greater  part  of  this  treasure  is  believed  to  have  been  lost 
during  the  Noche  Triste/'  the  "  Night  of  Sorrows," 
when  the  Spanish  conquerors  were  surprised  and 
attacked  in  Mexico  City  by  the  native  warriors,  and 
were  forced  to  seek  safety,  after  suffering  considerable 
losses  in  a  retreat  from  the  narrow,  city  streets  into  the 
open  country,  where  they  could  better  utilize  the  enor- 


Commumcated  by  Dr.  William  C.  Mills,  Curator  and 
Librarian  of  the  Museum. 


20 


RINGS 


mous  superiority  conferred  on  them  by  their  fire-arms. 
Even  the  few  specimens  which  were  actually  brought  to 
Charles  V  seem  to  have  disappeared,  and  were  probably 
melted  down  for  use  as  buUion.^^ 

Of  the  silversmiths'  methods  a  little  can  be  learned 
from  a  study  of  Aztec  paintings.  Thus  we  are  able  to 
know  that  they  used  the  crucible,  the  muffle  and  the  blow- 
pipe. The  statement  is  made  by  Torquemada  and  by 
Clavigo  that  they  possessed  the  now  lost  art  of  casting 
objects  half  of  gold  and  half  of  silver.  Some  fine  ex- 
amples of  Aztec  work  in  gold  and  silver  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  marvelous  collections  of  the  Museo  Nacional  in 
Mexico  City,  and  among  them  are  several  finger-rings. 
One  of  these  comes  from  Teotihuacan;  its  broad  hoop  is 
decorated  with  the  head  of  one  of  the  Aztec  gods,  wearing 
an  elaborate  and  curiously  complicated  head-dress. 
Other  gold  rings  are  of  a  peculiar  type,  the  inner  half 
of  the  hoop  being  only  about  two-fifths  as  high  as  the 
outer  and  very  broad  half,  so  that  the  finger  could  be 
closed  without  inconvenience.^^ 

So  few  finger-rings  of  the  Indian  aborigines,  who 
once  inhabited  the  present  territory  of  the  United  States, 
have  been  brought  to  light,  that  some  authorities  have 
been  disposed  to  deny  the  existence  of  any  relics  of 
this  kind.  Among  the  rare  discoveries  may  be  noted  a 
copper  ring  found  in  one  of  the  Indian  mounds  near 
Chillicothe,  Ross  County,  Ohio.  This  ring  has  been 
made  by  bending  a  short  copper  rod  until  the  ends  over- 
lapped and  then  pounding  them  as  closely  together  as 
possible.   It  is  only  large  enough  for  a  child's  finger,  and 

W.  W.  Blake,  "  The  Antiquities  of  Mexico,"  New  York, 
1891,  p.  74,  figure. 

Ibid.,  p.  73,  figures. 


Ancient  Indian  rings.  1,  copper  finger  ring.    From  a  grave  in  cemetery  at  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  Southern 
Indiana,  1898.  i^,  stone  ring  (?).  From  Red  Paint  Cemetery,  Orland,  Maine.  Explored  by  W.  K.  Moorehcad  in 
1912.   3,  shell  ring,  broken.   From  adobe  ruin.  Mesa,  Arizona,  1898.   All  full  size 
Courtesy  of  Mr.  Warren  K.  Moorehead 


Four  thin  shell  rings  from  the  Indian  adobe  ruins  near  Phoenix,  Arizona, 
explored  in  1898 
Courtesy  of  Mr.  Warren  K.  Moorehead 


NAVAJO  SILVERSMITH  OF  ARIZONA,  KOCH-NE-BI-KI-BITSILLY,  CALLED  "CHARLEY," 
MAKING  RINGS  AT  GRAND  CANYON,  ARIZONA 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


21 


among  the  remains  of  fifteen  Indians  found  in  this  par- 
ticular mound  were  those  of  a  child.^^  A  few  stone  rings, 
presumably  for  wear  on  the  finger,  have  been  met  with 
in  Indian  graves  in  the  Scioto  Valley,  Ohio,  in  Kentucky, 
in  Tennessee  and  also  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and 
California.  An  ornamental  stone  ring  from  Kentucky 
was  evidently  a  finger-ring,  as  are  also  some  others  of 
the  stone  rings.^^ 

A  shell  ring  from  the  adobe  ruins  near  Phoenix, 
Arizona,  in  the  Salado  Valley,  shows  the  skill  of  the 
primitive  Indians  of  this  region  in  ring-making.  Art 
in  shell  is  pronounced  by  Dr.  Warren  K.  Moorehead  to 
be  characteristic  of  the  early  Indian  peoples  of  this  valley, 
the  shell  material,  which  is  found  in  great  profusion  in 
the  ruins  and  in  the  desert,  having  come  here  either 
because  of  trade  relations  with  the  Indians  of  the  sea- 
coast,  or  as  a  result  of  frequent  journeys  by  some  of 
the  Salado  peoples  to  the  distant  salt  water.  The  dis- 
covery of  shell  frogs  in  the  so-called  "  City  of  the  Dead  " 
in  this  valley,  by  Prof.  Frank  H.  Cushing,  some  thirty 
years  ago,  was  at  first  received  with  considerable  in- 
credulity, but  since  then  several  have  been  unearthed  by 
successive  explorers.  Shell  and  bone  implements  with 
turquoise  inlays  occur  both  in  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico.^^    The  shell  ring  we  have  just  noted,  is  un- 

Warren  K.  Moorehead,  "  Primitive  Men  in  Ohio,"  New 
York,  1892,  p.  148;  see  plate  xxvi,  p.  152. 

Warren  K.  Moorehead,  "  Stone  Age  in  North  America," 
Boston  and  New  York,  1910,  vol.  i,  p.  440,  fig.  385,  ring  in 
Collection  of  B.  H.  Young,  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

See  the  writer's  "  Magic  of  Jewels  and  Charms,"  Phila- 
delphia and  London,  1915,  pp.  352,  353;  colored  plate  opp. 
p.  352. 


22 


RINGS 


usually  well  formed,  the  projection  at  the  upper  part 
having  a  form  suggestive  of  a  finished  bezel,  thus  render- 
ing the  ring  a  harmonious  and  attractive  adornment  for 
the  hand.  This  interesting  specimen  was  brought  to 
light  in  1898,  with  a  few  other  shell  rings.  An  Indian  cop- 
per finger  ring  was  unearthed,  in  the  same  year,  in  a  grave 
forming  part  of  a  cemetery  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash 
River,  southern  Indiana.  More  recently,  in  1912,  what 
is  believed  to  have  been  a  stone  ring  was  taken  by  Doctor 
Moorehead  from  the  Red  Paint  Indian  cemetery  at 
Orland,  Maine.^^ 

The  proficiency  of  the  Navajo  and  Pueblo  Indians 
of  New  Mexico  as  silversmiths  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
there  are  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  Indians  regularly 
occupied  in  this  way  at  present,  while  several  hundred 
others  are  more  or  less  familiar  with  the  art  and  work 
occasionally.  The  average  pay  is  so  much  by  the  ounce, 
fifty  cents  for  bracelets,  conchos,  etc.,  and  seventy-five 
cents  for  rings,  plus  twenty- five  cents  for  each  and  every 
setting.  It  has  been  estimated  that  a  Navajo  silversmith, 
if  he  find  steady  work,  may  earn  as  much  as  $125  a 
month.  This,  however,  is  rarely  the  case,  as  they  are 
not  fond  of  overwork,  and  when  they  have  earned  a  little 
sum  in  ten  or  fifteen  days,  they  will  lay  off  until  it  is 
spent  and  they  are  again  forced  to  resume  their  tasks. 
Of  the  more  industrious,  who  might  be  willing  to  work 
uninterruptedly,  many  are  quite  prosperous,  owning 
flocks  of  sheep  or  other  live  stock,  or  else  farm  land, 
which  must  be  attended  to  in  preference  to  the  jewellery 
industry. 

Warren  K.  Moorehead,  "A  Narration  of  Exploration  in 
New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Indiana,  etc.,"  Andover,  Mass.,  1906, 
p.  89,  fig.  45. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


23 


One  of  the  best  of  these  Indian  ring-makers  is  Koch- 
Ne-Bi-Ki  Bitsilly,  called  Charley  for  short.  He  finds 
regular  employment  in  the  Grand  Canyon  shop  at 
Albuquerque,  N.  M.,  for  several  months  in  each  year, 
devoting  the  remainder  of  his  time  to  the  care  of  his  sheep 
and  other  property.  He  is  pronounced  to  be  above  the 
average  in  intelligence,  energy  and  initiative.  Other 
silversmiths  are:  Asidi  Yashe,  Charlie  Hogan,  Charlie 
Largo,  Malapai,  Bigay  and  Hastin  Nez. 

Of  the  stones  used  for  ring-settings,  garnets  are 
never  employed  except  at  the  special  request  of  a  trader ; 
rarely,  roughly-cut  peridots  are  set  in  rings.  Turquoise 
from  New  Mexico,  is  the  favorite  stone,  although  a  little 
Persian  turquoise  is  occasionally  brought  in  by  the 
traders  and  set  in  Navajo  rings.  In  early  times  the 
turquoise  supply  came  from  the  deposits  near  Cerrillos, 
now  known  as  the  Tiffany  Mine,^^""  which  furnished  the 
material  for  all  the  turquoise  ornaments  in  the  ruins  at 
Chaco  Canyon  and  elsewhere.  In  the  manufacture  of 
rings  these  silversmiths  frequently  make  a  number  at 
the  same  time,  first  fashioning  all  the  hoops,  and  then 
adding  the  design  to  the  hoops,  after  which  the  cups  for 
the  settings  are  added  to  the  series.  An  industrious 
worker  will  be  able  to  finish  up  as  many  as  a  dozen  rings 
on  this  plan  in  three  days,  whereas,  when  special  care  is 
to  be  exercised  in  making  a  single  ring,  a  whole  day's 
work  will  be  required.  From  four  to  five  thousand  rings 
are  made  annually  in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 

As  metal  working  was  unknown  to  the  Navajos,  as 
well  as  to  the  other  Indians  of  the  Southwest  before  the 
advent  of  the  white  man,  it  seems  most  probable  that 
silver  jewellery  was  not  made  by  these  Indians  until 


Not  named  after  Charles  L.  Tiffany. 


24 


RINGS 


Spanish  silver  coins  reached  them.  The  Navajos  are 
believed  to  have  acquired  their  knowledge  of  jewellery- 
making  from  the  Pueblo  Indians  who  were  the  first  to 
undertake  it.  Prior  to  this  there  was  massive  work  in 
copper  probably  due  to  influences  from  the  North.  The 
Spanish  derivation  of  the  silver-working  is  proven  by 
the  old  Spanish  methods  used;  the  bellows  is  Spanish- 
Moorish.  No  reference  either  to  the  making  or  the  use 
of  jewellery  before  recent  times  by  the  Navajos  is  be- 
lieved to  exist.  As  an  indication  of  the  source  of  the 
silver  used,  the  Hopi  name  of  this  metal  is  shiha,  the 
literal  meaning  of  the  word  being  "  a  little  round,  white 
cake,"  an  apt  designation  of  a  silver  coin.  In  the  total 
absence  of  archaeological  evidence  as  to  the  Navajos, 
Dr.  Walter  Hough  is  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  silver 
work  among  the  tribe  is  of  comparatively  recent  date. 
A  few  of  the  Navajo  finger-rings  in  the  National 
Museum  in  Washington  are  at  least  old  enough  to  show 
considerable  signs  of  wear.^^ 

Among  the  women  of  the  Pueblo  Indians  the  wear- 
ing of  a  great  number  of  rings  on  the  hand  is  an  indica- 
tion of  aristocratic  birth.  This  is  illustrated  in  the  accom- 
panying plate,  showing  a  ring  on  every  finger  of  both 
hands;  they  are  of  silver,  set  with  turquoise.  Rings  of 
this  type  are  also  shown  in  the  portrait  of  a  Navajo 
maiden,  a  daughter  of  Chee  Dodge,  dressed  in  the  cos- 
tume of  the  wife  of  a  Navajo  chief 

As  the  Navajo  silversmiths  dwelt  in  small  huts  or 
temporary  shelters  which  they  might  move  away  from 

Communicated  by  Walter  Hough,  Acting  Head  Curator, 
Dept.  of  Anthropology,  United  States  National  Museum, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Communicated  by  Joseph  K.  Dixon,  Secretary  of  the 
National  American  Indian  Memorial  Association. 


DAUGHTER  OF  CHEE  DODGE,  NAVAJO  INDIAN.  SHE  WEARS  RINGS  OF  SILVER 
SET  WITH  TURQUOISE 


SILVER  RINGS  SET  WITH  TURQUOISE  MINED  IN  ARIZONA  AND  NEW  MEXICO, 
MADE  BY  THE  NAVAJO  INDIANS,  GRAND  CANYON,  ARIZONA.  1916 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


25 


at  short  notice,  they  were  forced  to  build  low  forges 
directly  on  the  ground,  obliging  them  to  crouch  down 
while  working/^  In  this  respect  the  Pueblo  artisans 
had  a  considerable  advantage,  since  their  spacious  dwell- 
ings made  it  possible  for  them  to  set  their  forges  solidly 
in  a  frame  high  enough  to  enable  them  to  do  their  work 
standing.  A  considerable  number  of  tools  and  appliances 
are  in  the  workshop  of  the  Navajo  silversmith;  most  of 
them,  however,  of  rude  fabrication  and  not  well  adapted 
for  fine  and  accurate  work.  He  deserves  the  more  credit 
for  the  quality  of  work  he  is  able  to  produce.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  pretty  full  list  of  the  outfit  in  such  a  work- 
shop: Forge,  bellows,  anvil,  crucibles,  molds,  tongs, 
scissors,  pliers,  files,  awls,  cold  chisels,  matrix  and  die 
for  moulding  buttons,  wooden  stake,  basin,  charcoal, 
tools  and  materials  for  soldering  (blow-pipe,  braid  of 
cotton  rags  soaked  in  grease,  wire,  and  borax),  ma- 
terials for  polish  (sand-paper,  emery-paper,  powdered 
sandstone,  sand,  ashes,  and  solid  stone),  and  materials 
for  whitening  (a  native  mineral  substance — almogen, 
salt  and  water ).^^ 

It  has  been  noted  that  the  Navajos  had  not  acquired 
the  art  of  making  an  air  chamber  of  the  mouth  in  operat- 
ing the  blow-pipe,  but  blew  with  undistended  cheeks, 
the  result  being  an  intermittent  flame.  The  latter  is 
furnished  by  burning  a  thick  braid  of  cotton  rags  soaked 
in  mutton  suet  or  some  other  similar  kind  of  grease.  For 
the  polishing  work,  the  emery  paper  is  sparingly  used 

The  details  in  this  and  the  following  paragraphs  are  taken 
from  Washington  Matthews,  "Navajo  Silversmiths,"  in  the 
Second  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 
1880-1881,  Washington,  1881,  pp.  171-178. 

Op,  cit„  between  pp.  174  and  175,  plate  showing  silver- 
smith's shop  set  up  near  Fort  Wingate. 


26 


HINGS 


because  of  its  cost.  After  all  the  preliminary  polishing 
has  been  done  with  sandstone,  sand  or  ashes,  the  finishing 
is  done  with  emery-paper.  For  the  blanching  of  the 
silver  the  hydrous  sulphate  of  ammonia,  termed  almogen, 
is  used,  the  silver  being  bathed  in  a  solution  of  this,  with 
the  addition  of  a  little  salt.  The  blow-pipe  is  usually 
made  by  beating  out  a  piece  of  thick  brass  wire  into  a 
long  flat  strip,  which  is  then  bent  into  the  requisite  form. 

Two  of  the  best  of  these  silversmiths  were  engaged 
to  work  for  a  short  time  near  Fort  Wingate.  As  has 
been  noted,  their  forges  are  commonly  set  very  low 
down,  and  the  position  of  the  workers  was  evidently  an 
uncomfortable  one.  Nevertheless,  they  showed  a  great 
degree  of  persistence,  working  sometimes  as  many  as 
from  twelve  to  even  fifteen  hours  in  a  day.  When  paid 
by  the  piece,  artisans  could  earn  about  two  dollars  a 
day  on  an  average.  The  method  of  chasing  was  ex- 
cessively primitive.  While  one  worker  held  the  object 
firmly  on  an  anvil,  the  other  applied  to  it  part  of  the 
shank  of  a  file  that  had  previously  been  rounded,  and 
struck  this  with  smart  taps  of  a  hammer.  Finer  figures 
were  engraved  with  the  sharpened  part  of  a  file,  to  which 
a  peculiar  zigzag,  forward  motion  was  imparted  by  the 
hand.  One  fault  that  could  be  charged  against  these 
silversmiths  was  a  lack  of  economy  as  to  the  precious 
material  they  used,  no  care  being  taken  to  gather  up 
and  utilize  the  amount  lost  in  filing  and  polishing,  as 
well  as  by  oxidation  in  the  forge,  so  that  the  net  loss  was 
estimated  at  fourteen  per  cent. 

While  the  art  of  the  work  produced  can  scarcely  be 
termed  finished,  when  judged  by  very  high  standards, 
still  the  silver  ornaments  executed  by  the  Navajos  pos- 
sess at  least  the  charm  inherent  in  individual  work,  as  con- 
trasted with  the  more  harmonious  and  finished  produc- 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


27 


tions  of  merely  mechanical  art,  where  thousands  of  ob- 
jects of  a  given  type  of  design  are  turned  out  annually  in 
a  highly-organized  silversmithing  establishment.  With 
these  Indians  we  have  the  "  personal  note  "  that  is  too 
often  missed  in  the  ornaments  of  our  day.  This  Navajo 
industry  has  received  much  encouragement  from  the 
managers  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and  from  its 
agencies.  Although  the  art  among  the  Navajos  is  gen- 
erally believed  to  have  been  introduced  by  Spanish  in- 
fluence, the  fact  that  before  the  Spanish  Conquest  the 
jiative  Mexicans  were  able  to  work  metals  with  con- 
siderable skill  would  make  it  not  improbable  that  it 
spread  to  the  New  Mexico  tribes,  and  perhaps  from 
them  to  the  ancestors  of  the  Navajos  of  to-day.  The 
Navajo  Indians  belong  to  the  Athapascan  race  and 
emigrated  from  the  northwestern  coast.  Copper  had 
been  worked  into  ornaments  from  of  old  by  Indians 
of  the  same  stock  in  Alaska,  and  some  remains  indicate 
that  this  was  the  case,  in  rare  instances,  with  the  Navajos. 

The  superiority  of  the  Navajos  of  a  later  time  to  the 
Pueblos  as  silversmiths,  may,  perhaps,  result  from  their 
already  acquired  knowledge  of  copper-working.  As  the 
Navajo  men  had  not  the  occupation  of  farming,  as  had 
the  Pueblos,  silversmithing  gained  favor  among  them  as 
a  fad,  as  a  means  of  relieving  the  tedium  of  idleness. 
There  is  rarely  any  tendency  to  transmit  this  art  directly 
from  father  to  son,  individual  preferences  being  the  chief 
factors.  Indeed  there  is  so  little  of  the  caste  spirit  among 
the  Navajos  that  the  occupation  of  the  father  counts  for 
but  little  in  determining  that  of  the  son.  This  is  largely 
dependent  upon  the  fact  that  descent  is  principally 
traced  through  the  mother.  Exogamy,  marrying  out- 
side the  clan,  is  the  orthodox  code  of  the  Navajos,  a  man 
being  expected  to  avoid  taking  a  wife  from  the  clan  to 


28 


RINGS 


which  his  mother  belonged, — a  wise  precaution  for  them. 

As  an  early  description  of  the  lack  of  silversmiths' 
instruments  of  precision  among  the  Navajos  in  planning 
and  executing  their  work,  Mr.  Matthews  says  of  con- 
ditions as  he  observed  them  thirty-five  years  ago : 

"  The  smiths  whom  I  have  seen  working  had  no 
dividers,  square,  measure,  or  any  instrument  of  pre- 
cision. As  before  stated,  I  have  seen  scissors  used  as 
compasses,  but  as  a  rule  they  find  approximate  centres 
with  the  eye  and  cut  all  shapes  and  engrave  all  figures 
by  the  unaided  guidance  of  this  unreliable  organ.  Often 
they  cut  out  their  designs  in  paper  first  and  from  them 
mark  off  patterns  on  the  metal.  Even  in  the  matter  of 
cutting  patterns  they  do  not  seem  to  know  the  simple 
device  of  doubling  the  paper  in  order  to  secure  lateral 
conformity." 

As  the  Navajos  have  no  silver  mines  in  their  country, 
they  depend  largely  for  their  material  upon  Mexican 
silver  dollars  worth  about  48  cents  in  United  States 
money.  These  are  melted  and  then  molded,  or  else  cut 
and  hammered  into  the  desired  forms.  Sometimes, 
United  States  half  or  quarter  dollars  are  used  in  this 
way,  although  such  silver  costs  more  than  twice  as  much, 
because  of  its  worth  as  currency.  Before  silver  was 
freely  used,  copper  and  brass  were  bought  at  the  trading 
posts  and  favored  as  materials;  a  supply  of  these  metals 
being  often  secured  by  melting  down  parts  of  the  kettles 
or  pans  furnished  to  the  Indians  by  the  United  States 
Government,  or  else  bought  from  white  settlers.  Some 
old  Navajo  silversmiths  assert  that  the  art  of  working 
silver  was  introduced  from  Mexico  about  sixty  years 
ago,  toward  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  About  this 
time  a  Mexican  silversmith  named  Cassilio  came  to  the 
Navajo  country  and  taught  his  art  to  a  Navajo  black- 


NAVAJO  SILVERSMITHS  OF  NEW  MEXICO,  ENGAGED  IN  MAKING  SILVER  RINGS 
1,  Tsozi  Bigay;  2,  Atziddy  Yaski 


PAULO  AHKITA,  PUEBLO  INDIAN,  WITH  HIS  SON  AND  WIFE 
The  latter  wears  turquoise  and  silver  rings  on  every  finger  of  each  hand 
Courtesy  of  Dr.  Joseph  Kossuth  Dixon 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


29 


smith  called  by  his  people  Atsidi  Sani,  or  the  "  Old 
Smith."  Cassilio  is  said  to  have  been  still  living  about 
1872.  An  artisan  considered  to  be  one  of  the  best,  if 
not  the  very  best  of  the  Navajo  silversmiths  of  our  day, 
who  is  called  Beshlagai  Ilini  Altsosigi  or  the  "  Slender 
Silversmith,"  originally  learned  his  art  from  Mexicans. 
The  fact  that  Lieut.  James  H.  Simpson,  who  explored 
the  heart  of  the  NTavajo  country  in  1849,  has  nothing  to 
say  about  silversmithing,  although  he  details  very  fully 
the  various  arts  and  industries  of  the  Navajos,  goes  far 
to  prove  the  truth  of  the  statement  that  Navajo  silver- 
smithing  dates  from  a  later  time.^*  ^ 

Borax  is  now  generally  used  for  soldering,  but 
before  it  was  brought  to  their  country,  the  Navajo  silver- 
smiths are  said  to  have  mined  a  certain  substance  for 
this  use,  probably  a  kind  of  native  alum.  Rock  salt,  an 
easily  attainable  material,  called  in  the  Navajo  tongue 
tse  dokozh  (saline  rock),  was  used  for  whitening  tarn- 
ished or  oxidized  silver.  For  this  purpose  the  salt  was 
dissolved  in  boiling  water,  into  which  the  silver  articles 
were  thrown  and  left  for  a  time.  In  place  of  the  sand- 
stone, sand  and  ashes  originally  used,  the  silversmiths 
are  now  able  to  employ  sandpaper  or  emery  paper 
bought  at  the  stores.  Of  the  tools  employed  we  have 
already  treated  at  some  length.  The  details  in  this  and 
the  preceding  paragraph  have  been  derived  from  the 
very  interesting  and  valuable  "  Ethnologic  Dictionary 
of  the  Navaho  Language,"  published  in  1910  by  the 
Franciscan  Fathers,  at  St.  Michaels,  Arizona.^^  Here 

44a  u^j^  Ethnologic  Dictionary  of  the  Navaho  Language," 
published  by  the  Franciscan  Fathers,  Saint  Michaels,  Arizona, 
1910,  p.  271. 

This  is  a  well-printed  octavo  of  536  pages,  with  a  most 
comprehensive  index. 


30 


RINGS 


the  nouns  and  verbs  denoting  action  are  grouped  in 
the  only  really  logical  way,  under  the  respective  in- 
dustries and  trades,  or  other  forms  of  human  activity. 
As  some  of  the  foremost  writers  on  the  origin  of  lan- 
guage have  urged  that  its  beginnings  are  to  be  sought 
in  the  various  rhythmic  exclamations  of  a  body  of 
workers,  at  first  uttered  automatically  and  later  used 
consciously  as  calls  to  work,  or  to  favor  a  coordination 
of  efforts,  no  better  classification  of  the  vocabulary  of  a 
primitive  race  can  be  employed. 

The  various  forms  and  qualities  of  silver  rings  found 
full  expression  in  the  Navajo  language,  a  proof  of  the 
importance  accorded  to  this  branch  of  silversmithing 
among  them.  The  word  for  ring  being  yostsd,  we  have 
the  following  designations : 

yostsa  deshzhazh,  a  worn  down  ring 

yostsa  geeldo,  a  broken  ring 

yostsa  enidi,  a  new  ring 

yostsa  quastqi,  an  old  ring 

yostsa  ntqel,  a  broad  ring 

yostsa  altsosi,  a  slender  ring 

yostsa  ntsa,  a  large  ring 

yostsa  altsisi,  a  small  ring 

yostsa  nailgai,  a  polished  ring 

yostsa  yiji,  a  blackened,  oxidized  ring 

yostsa  do-bikeeshchmi,  a  plain  ring 

yostsa  bikeeshchmi,  a  ring  with  a  design 

yostsa  alkesgiz,  a  twisted  ring 

yostsa  bitsa,  a  ribbed  ring 

yostsa  bina,  the  setting  of  a  ring 

yostsa  tseso  bina,  a  ring  with  a  glass  setting 

yostsa  dotlizhi  bina,  a  ring  with  a  turquoise  setting 

yostsa  tlish  beelya,  a  snake-shaped  ring 


Op.  cit.,  pp.  283, 


THE  ARMY  AND  NAVT  CtXTB 
WASHINGTON. 


^  .iJuU;::^.  ^  ^^^^^^ 
V  ^ 

N>*»->-.»>iL>So    ^-^--'s-O^  vX^Zl^^ 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RING 


31 


Rings  are  not  in  favor  with  the  Eskimos,  who  do 
not  appear  to  make  or  wear  any.  Indeed,  Admiral 
Peary  found  it  impossible  to  dispose  of  a  lot  of  rings 
he  had  taken  with  him  on  one  of  his  Arctic  trips  in  the 
belief  that  they  would  be  attractive  to  the  Eskimos,  and 
good  objects  of  barter/^  Perhaps  in  the  intense  Arctic 
cold  even  the  slightest  pressure  on  the  finger  may  have 
been  avoided,  lest  it  should  impede  circulation  and  in- 
crease the  danger  of  having  the  fingers  frost-bitten. 

The  Mendasans  of  Mesopotamia  are  the  silversmiths 
of  this  region,  and  they  exhibit  much  skill  in  their  work. 
The  greatest  demand  is  for  cigarette  cases  and  for 
signet  rings  and  seals,  although  they  make  a  variety  of 
other  small  ornamental  objects.  Their  methods  of  work 
are  quite  characteristic.  In  the  case  of  the  smaller 
objects,  such  as  rings,  etc.,  they  hammer  them  out  from 
a  heated  silver  bar.  When  the  general  form  has  been 
attained,  they  work  up  the  surface  with  a  steel  file  or 
pencil,  which  has  a  triangular  point ;  with  it  the  desired 
design  is  laboriously  engraved.  This  process  being  com- 
pleted, a  black  metallic  powder,  made  into  a  paste,  is 
rubbed  over  the  entire  surface,  naturally  accumulating 
more  or  less,  according  to  the  greater  or  lesser  depths 
of  the  cuttings;  the  object  is  then  placed  in  a  charcoal 
forge  and  fired.  After  it  has  remained  therein  long 
enough,  it  is  removed  and  the  superfluous  powder  is 
rubbed  or  worked  off.  The  completed  ring  or  other 
ornament  then  offers  most  beautiful  contrasts  between 
the  bright  silver  and  the  lustrous  black  inlay.  The 
Mendseans  are  sometimes  called  "Christians  of  St.  John," 
because  of  their  great  veneration  for  John  the  Baptist. 

Communicated  by  Admiral  Peary  in  a  letter  to  the  author, 
February  13,  1916. 


32 


RINGS 


However,  they  in  no  sense  deserve  the  name  of  Christians, 
their  peculiar,  eclectic  doctrine  being  a  mixture  of  an- 
cient and  Christian  Gnosticism,  with  certain  elements  of 
the  old  Persian  religion.  They  have  quite  a  literature, 
dating  back  to  the  early  centuries  of  our  era,  and  written 
in  an  Aramaic  dialect  similar  to  that  of  the  Talmud. 

THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING 

The  wearing  of  rings  as  ornaments  for  the  hand 
requires  no  explanation  in  view  of  the  innate  love  of 
adornment  shown  from  the  very  earliest  periods  of  hu- 
man history.  However,  apart  from  this  merely  orna- 
mental use,  rings  were  applied  to  many  special  uses  and 
were  worn  for  many  definite  purposes,  some  of  which 
are  so  important  as  to  merit  extended  notice  in  separate 
chapters;  others  again  are  less  far-reaching  and  less  sig- 
nificant, and  certain  of  these  will  be  explained  and  illus- 
trated here. 

We  are  not  apt  to  think  the  wearing  of  many  rings 
especially  in  accord  with  the  profession  of  philosophy, 
and  yet  ^lian  tells  us  that  a  chief  cause  of  the  dissension 
between  Plato  (427-347  B.C.)  and  his  pupil,  Aristotle 
(384-322  B.C.) ,  arose  from  the  blame  bestowed  by  Plato 
upon  the  greatest  of  ancient  philosophers — "  the  master 
of  those  who  know,"  as  Dante  calls  him — because 
Aristotle  adorned  his  hand  with  many  rings.*^  Could 
this  have  been  done  with  a  view  to  impressing  his  students 
and  philosophers  with  greater  respect  than  they  might 
always  have  been  disposed  to  accord  to  his  intellectual 
greatness  alone?  The  externals  of  luxurious  adornment 
made,  perhaps,  a  more  direct  appeal  than  the  mere  power 

48  C.  W.  King,  "Antique  Gems,"  London,  1860,  p.  S81 ; 
citing  ^lian,  iii,  19. 


1,  Late  Roman  ring;  2,  sold  ring  set  with  an  engraved  red  carnelian. 
P'ound  in  1846  near  Amiens,  France 


1,  ring  of  gilt  copper  set  with  a  ruby;     2,  ring  set  with  irregularly- 
shaped  sapphire 
Londesborough  Collection 


1 ,  Roman  ring,  perhaps  a  signet ;  elliptical  hoop  with  projecting  shoulders; 
2,  hexagonal  ring  set  with  engraved  stone  bearing  figure  of  Hygeia,  the 
Goddess  of  Health 


Ring  that  was  perhaps  given  by  a  Roman  lady  to  a 
successful  charioteer.    Bust  of  donor  on  summit  of  ring 


All  from  Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  spiral  ring  with  heads  of  Isis  and  Serapis 
2,  Etruscan  gold  ring 
British  Museum 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Silver  ring  with  ten  projections  Immense  rmg  with  female  head  incorrectly  said  to  be  that  of  Plotina, 
(decade  ring);  that  for  the  Creed  (the  wife  of  Trajan 

bezel)  has  the  design  of  the  Cross.  Montfaucon,  "L'Antiquile^  expliqu(^e,"  Paris,  1719 

Impression 

British  Museum 


Ancient  Roman  Key  Rings 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  33 


of  logical  exposition  could  do,  and  such  an  eminently 
practical  thinker  as  Aristotle  was  may  not  have  been 
blind  to  these  considerations. 

A  gold  ring  figured  by  Gorius  is  thought  by  him 
to  have  been  a  gift  from  an  ardent  Roman  sportswoman 
to  a  victorious  charioteer,  to  whose  skill  she  may  perhaps 
have  been  indebted  for  some  material  gain,  since  wager- 
ing in  chariot  races  was  as  common  in  Roman  times  as 
betting  on  horse  races  in  our  own  day.  This  ring  is 
engraved  with  a  woman's  head  and  two  heads  of 
reined  horses ;  the  name  of  the  donor,  Pomphonica,*^  and 
the  words  amor  and  hospes,  are  engraved  on  the  circlet. 
"  Love  the  Host,"  as  these  words  may  be  read,  makes  a 
slightly  enigmatic  inscription.  Indeed,  it  may  well  be 
that  some  fair  Roman  had  the  ring  made  as  a  memento 
for  her  own  use  and  wear.  Another  conjecture  is  that  it 
was  a  man's  ring  executed  as  a  memento  of  what  was 
dearest  to  him,  his  lady-love  and  his  chariot  horses.  It 
was  in  the  Cabinet  of  the  Tuscan  grand  duke  Francis  of 
Lorraine,  later  Emperor  of  Germany  and  husband  of 
Maria  Theresa.^^ 

A  Latin  inscription,  from  Granada,  Spain,  mentions 
a  ring,  set  with  a  jasper,  that  was  placed  by  a  son  upon 
the  statue  of  his  mother.  The  value  of  the  ring  is  given 
as  7 000  sestertii,  indicating  that  the  stone  was  engraved ; 
the  design  probably  had  a  symbolic  significance,  as  in 
the  case  of  most  of  the  votive  rings.^^ 

Frederick  WiUiam  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Archseolo- 
gist,"  London,  1871,  p.  86,  with  figure  of  ring. 

J.  P.  Mariette,  "  Traite  des  pierres  gravees,"  Paris,  1750^ 
vol.  i,  p.  18. 

See  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  finger  rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  departments  of  antiquities,  British 
Museum,  London,  1907,  p.  xxvi,  note, 
3 


34 


RINGS 


Martial,  in  one  of  his  epigrams  (V.12)  says  that 
there  was  nothing  surprising  in  the  feats  performed  by 
certain  athletes,  when  Stella  could  carry  ten  maidens 
upon  one  of  his  fingers.  In  a  very  interesting  study  on 
this  subject,  C.  W.  King  endeavors  to  prove  that  the 
lines  refer  to  a  remarkable  ring  whereon  ten  precious 
stones  must  have  been  associated  in  some  way  with 
dedicated  to  Minerva  and  the  Nine  Muses.  In  another 
epigram  (V.ll)  Martial  writes  of  Stella  turning  sar- 
donyxes,  emeralds,  diamonds,  and  jaspers  around  one 
of  his  finger- joints,  and  King  conjectures  that  the  Ten 
Maidens  were  represented  by  the  opal,  sapphire  (hya- 
cinth), spinel.  Oriental  topaz,  almandine  garnet,  and 
pearl,  in  addition  to  the  four  stones  enumerated  above. 
Should  this  conjecture  be  well-founded  these  different 
stones  were  set  at  regular  intervals,  these  stones  being 
Minerva  and  the  Muses,  although  we  have  no  direct  proof 
of  this. 

This  ring  of  the  Ten  Maidens  suggests  the  decade 
or  rosary  rings,  of  which  so  many  specimens  exist. 
Usually  there  were  ten  bosses  or  knobs,  as  the  name 
indicates,  but  occasionally  there  were  eleven,  for  count- 
ing ten  Aves  and  a  Pater.  The  earhest  date  Mr.  Water- 
ton  is  inclined  to  assign  to  rings  of  this  type  is  the  four- 
teenth century.^^  A  so-called  decade  ring  with  twelve 
bosses  is  described  in  the  catalogue  of  the  Londesborough 
Collection.^^  (Here  the  central  knob  is  a  tooth,  opposite 
this  is  a  piece  of  labradorite,  while  on  either  side  are  set 
two  amethysts,  a  chrysoprase  and  an  emerald,  two 
jacinths,  two  turquoises,  and  two  pearls.  The  twelfth 
knob  stood  for  the  creed.  Sometimes,  where  there  are 
eleven  projections,  ten  paternosters  and  the  creed  were 

^2  Archaaological  Journal,  London,  1863,  vol.  xx,  p.  75. 
53  London,  1853,  p.  6. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING 


35 


to  be  recited.  A  good  example  of  a  decade  ring  is  one 
of  silver  in  the  British  Museum.  The  ten  projections 
for  the  paternosters  are  very  marked  and  the  eleventh, 
for  the  creed,  which  forms  the  bezel,  has  the  form  of  a 
crucifix,  the  cross  resting  on  three  steps.  This  rises  to  a 
considerable  relative  height  above  the  hoop.  Such  a 
ring  could  scarcely  be  worn  with  comfort,  its  liturgical 
use  evidently  being  the  paramount  idea  of  the  maker.^* 
The  gold  and  silver  chaplet  rings,  with  a  cross  and 
ten  beads  or  bosses  in  relief  upon  the  hoop,  were  fre- 
quently used  by  the  Knights  of  Malta,  in  the  eighteenth 
century;  indeed  this  type  of  ring  is  said  to  have  been 
invented  by  them.  Their  use  as  substitutes  for  the  less 
convenient  chaplet  was  spreading,  until  in  1836  the  mat- 
ter was  referred  by  Pope  Gregory  XVI  to  the  tribunal 
of  penitentiaries.  Its  decision,  transmitted  by  the 
Cardinal  Penitentiary  Castracane,  as  to  the  question 
"  whether  the  gold  or  silver  rings,  surrounded  by  ten 
bosses,  which  are  used  by  some  pious  persons  for  the 
recitation  of  the  Rosary  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  can  be 
blessed  with  the  appropriate  indulgences,"  was  in  the 
negative.^  ^ 

The  ring-money  used  by  the  ancient  Gauls  and 
Britons  illustrates  the  employment  of  what  might  be 
ornamental  objects  as  currency.  An  exceptionally  fine 
specimen  made  of  nearly  pure  gold  was  recently  found 
by  a  farmer  while  he  was  ploughing  a  field  near  Wood- 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later"  (British  Museum),  London,  1912,  p.  122,  No.  792, 
pi.  xi. 

X.  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Le  costume  et  les  usages 
ecclesiastiques  selon  la  tradition  romaine,"  Paris,  1897,  vol.  i, 
pp.  176,  177. 


36 


RINGS 


stock,  Oxfordshire,  England.  Of  course  many  or  most 
of  these  rings  were  not  worn  but  merely  used  as  money. 

A  legal  use  of  a  sapphire  ring  to  bind  a  bargain  is 
recorded  in  a  deed  of  gift,  from  about  1200  a.d.,  by  a 
certain  J ohn  Long  to  William  Prohume,  clerk,  of  land 
and  houses  in  St.  Martin's  Street,  Exeter,  at  a  rent  of 
6s  Sd,  which  sum  was  to  be  donated  to  St.  John's  Hos- 
pital in  Exeter.  The  grantor  acknowledges  the  receipt 
of  45  marks  and  of  a  gold  ring  set  with  a  sapphire  as 
the  price  of  this  lease  on  very  favorable  terms.^^ 

Precious  stones  set  in  rings  sometimes  served  to 
hide  a  "  talisman  "  of  a  peculiar  kind,  namely,  a  dose 
of  death-dealing  poison,  kept  as  a  last  resort  to  free  the 
wearer  of  the  ring  from  disgrace  or  from  a  worse  death. 
So  we  are  told  that  when  Marcus  Crassus  stripped  the 
Capitoline  Temple  of  its  treasures  of  gold,  the  faithful 
guardian  broke  between  his  teeth  the  stone  set  in  his 
ring,  swallowed  the  poison  hidden  beneath  it,  and  imme- 
diately expired.^^  The  great  Hannibal,  also,  had  re- 
course to  the  poison  contained  in  his  ring,  when  he  was 
on  the  point  of  being  given  up  to  his  bitter  enemies,  the 
Romans.  Of  this  ring  the  satirist  Juvenal  wrote  as 
follows :  Cannarum  vindex  et  tanti  sanguinis  ultor 
Anulus/^  or  "  That  ring,  the  avenger  of  those  who  fell 
at  Cannse,  and  of  so  much  blood  that  had  been  shed." 
Another  great  man,  the  peerless  orator  Demosthenes,  is 
said  to  have  carried  with  him  a  similar  ring.  In  a  Rab- 
binical commentary  on  Deuteronomy  occurs  the  follow- 
ing curious  passage: 

Hast  thou  then  no  ring?    Suck  it  out  and  thou  wilt  die. 

Historical  Manuscripts  Commission,  Report  of  MSS.  in 
various  collections,  vol.  iv,  Dublin,  1907,  p.  59. 
Plinii,  Hist.  Nat.,  lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  xxv. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING 


37 


This  has  been  explained  as  referring  to  a  hollow  ring 
filled  with  liquid  poison.^^ 

Some  ancient  gold  rings  were  made  hollow,  so  that 
they  could  be  filled  with  mastic  or  brimstone,  or  an 
aromatic  material.  In  the  old  "  Oneirocriticon,"  or 
"  Dream  Book  "  of  Artemidorus,  to  see  a  ring  of  this 
kind  in  a  dream  portended  treachery  or  deceit,  as  they 
enclosed  something  hidden  from  view,  while  a  ring  solidly 
wrought  by  the  hammer  was  exactly  what  it  purported 
to  be.'^ 

The  poison-rings  of  the  Borgias  are  not  fabulous, 
for  some  of  them  still  exist,  one  bearing  the  date  1503 
and  the  motto  of  Caesar  Borgia  in  Old  French,  Fays 
ce  que  doys  avien  que  pourra^'  (Do  your  duty,  happen 
what  may).  Beneath  the  bezel  of  this  ring  there  is  a 
sliding  panel  and  when  this  is  displaced  there  appears 
a  small  space  where  the  poison  was  kept.  Such  rings 
simply  afforded  a  ready  supply  of  poison  at  need,  but 
another  type  constituted  a  death-dealing  weapon.  It  is 
curious  to  note  how  in  a  ring  of  this  latter  type  the 
Renaissance  goldsmith  has  combined  an  artistic  idea  with 
the  nefarious  quality  of  the  jewel.  The  bezel  is  wrought 
into  the  shape  of  a  lion,  and  the  hollow  claws  of  the 
animal  admit  the  passage  of  a  subtle  poison  concealed 
in  a  small  reservoir  back  of  the  bezel.  By  a  mechanical 
device  the  poison  was  pressed  out  of  the  cavity  through 
the  lion's  claws,  and  it  is  conjectured  that  the  death- 
wound  could  have  been  inflicted  by  turning  the  bezel  of 
the  ring  inward,  so  that  a  hearty  grasp  would  produce 
a  few  slight  punctures  in  the  enemy's  hand.^^ 

Neuhebraisches  und  Chaldaisches  Worterbuch,"  by  Jacob 
Levy,  Leipzig,  1879,  vol.  ii,  p.  139,  s.  v.  tabba'ath. 
^®  Artemidorus,  "  Oneirocritica,"  ii,  5. 
60  Davenport,  "  Jewelry,"  Chicago,  1908,  pp.  127,  128. 


38 


RINGS 


While  these  Borgia  rings  represent  an  extreme  of 
diabohcal  ingenuity,  the  perfumed  rings,  the  use  of 
which  has  been  revived  to  a  certain  extent  of  late,  con- 
stitute a  refinement  of  civilization.  This  ring  is  gener- 
ally made  of  plain  gold  with  a  small  elastic  ball  and 
valve  at  the  back.  This  is  squeezed  flat  and  the  ring  is 
immersed  in  a  perfumed  liquid;  when  the  pressure  is 
removed  the  scent  is  drawn  into  the  ring  by  suction.  An 
ingenious  adjustment  renders  it  possible  for  the  wearer 
to  discharge  a  jet  or  spray  of  perfume  by  the  exercise 
of  a  very  trifling  pressure.  Not  only  perfumes  but  dis- 
infectants also  are  sometimes  used,  and  rings  charged  in 
this  way  may  be  said  to  represent  antidotes  of  the  dreaded 
poison  rings,  not  perhaps  in  a  literal  sense,  but  at  least 
in  the  sense  of  being  curative  rings. 

A  poison  ring  of  Venetian  workmanship  has  a 
richly  engraved  hoop,  the  setting  consisting  of  a  pointed 
diamond  on  either  side  of  which  are  two  cabochon-cut 
rubies.  On  touching  a  spring  at  the  side  of  the  bezel 
holding  the  diamond,  the  upper  half,  in  which  the  stone 
is  set,  springs  open,  revealing  a  space  beneath  in  which 
a  small  quantity  of  poison  could  be  concealed,  enough 
in  the  case  of  the  more  active  poisons  to  furnish  a  lethal 
dose,  either  for  an  enemy  or  for  the  wearer  of  the  ring 
himself  in  case  of  need.^^ 

The  son  of  the  great  Egmont  was  involved  more  or 
less  directly  in  an  unsuccessful  plot  to  poison  the  Prince 
of  Orange  in  1582.  It  was  asserted  that  the  crime  was 
committed  at  the  would-be  assassin's  own  table,  by  means 
of  a  drug  concealed  in  a  ring.    This  story  appeared  to 

61  Frederick  William  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist," 
London,  n.  d  (1865?),  p.  144,  fig.  177. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  EING  WEARING 


39 


be  confimied  by  the  alleged  finding  in  Egmont's  lodg- 
ings of  a  hollow  ring  filled  with  poison.^ 

A  writer  on  poison  mysteries  describes  a  possible 
poison  ring  in  the  great  British  Museum  collection. 
The  bezel  has  a  repository  covered  by  a  thin-cut  onyx 
on  which  is  engraved  the  head  of  a  horned  faun.^^^ 
However,  in  the  British  Museum  Catalogue  of  Kings 
by  O.  M.  Dalton,  the  statement  is  made  that  there  are 
no  authentic  poison  rings  in  the  Museum,  and  that  "the 
mere  possession  of  a  locket-bezel  does  not  suffice  to  lend 
romance  to  a  ring  perhaps  intended  to  contain  a  harm- 
less perfume.^^"" 

A  golden  ring-dial  in  the  British  Museum  collection 
is  a  flat  band  around  the  middle  of  which  runs  a  channel 
in  which  another,  movable  ring,  fits  closely.  The  month- 
names  are  engraved  on  the  band,  six  above  the  channel 
and  six  below  it.  The  movable  ring  has  a  small  hole 
with  a  star  on  one  side,  and  a  hand  with  index  and  second 
fingers  extended  on  the  other.  Inside,  the  numbers  of 
the  hours  from  4  a.m.  to  8  p.m.  are  engraved  in  two 
lines,  the  hour  of  noon  being  beyond  them  at  the  point 
opposite  to  the  ring  which  suspends  the  dial.  In  using  a 
dial-ring  the  aperture  in  the  movable  ring  was  brought 
in  a  line  with  the  month  in  which  the  observation  was 

John  Lathrop  Motley,  "  The  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Repub- 
lic," New  York,  1856,  Vol.  iii,  pp.  558,  559,  citing  a  curious 
Dutch  pamphlet  published  at  Ley  den  in  1582  and  consisting 
of  two  letters,  one  from  Bruges,  dated  July  25,  1582,  the  other 
written  two  days  later  from  Antwerp. 

C.  J.  S.  Thompson,  "  Poison  Romance  and  Poison  Mys- 
teries, London,  n.d.,  2d.  ed.,  p.  123. 

^^"^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger-rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval,  and  Later  [British 
Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  Iv. 


40 


RINGS 


taken;  this  being  done  the  figure  on  the  inside  upon  which 
the  sun's  ray  would  fall  would  give  the  approximate  time 
of  day.^' 

Shakespeare  provides  Touchstone  with  a  dial  ring  in 
"As  You  Like  It "  (Act  II,  sc.  7)  where  Jaques  says: 

"  Good  morrow  fool,"  quoth  I.    "  No,  Sir,  quoth  he. 
Call  me  not  fool,  till  heaven  hath  sent  me  fortune." 
And  then  he  drew  a  dial  from  his  poke, 
And  looking  on  it  with  lack-lus-tre  eye. 
Says,  very  wisely,  "  It  is  ten  o'clock." 

A  watch-ring  of  the  eighteenth  century  is  in  the 
Franks  Bequest  Collection  of  the  British  Museum.  The 
oval  watch  in  the  bezel  is  framed  with  pearls,  on  the  back 
of  the  ring  are  the  initials  A.B.  As  the  bezel  measures 
but  nine-tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  this  tiny  watch 
exemplifies  the  skill  of  the  watch-makers  of  the  time. 
The  entire  ring  weighs  but  175  grains.^^ 

The  custom  of  leaving  memorial  rings  for  the  friends 
of  the  departed  had  its  origin  in  the  bestowal  of  more 
substantial  bequests.  In  fact,  these  rings  stand  in  some- 
what the  same  relation  to  such  bequests  as  does  the 
wedding  ring  to  the  gifts  the  husband  was  expected  to 
make  to  his  wife  when  he  wedded  her.  In  both  cases 
this  has  been  lost  sight  of,  and  the  intrinsic  value  of  the 
objects  being  slight,  only  the  sentimental  value  is 
considered. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Mediaeval  and  Later,"  bequeathed  by  Sir 
Augustus  Wollaston  Franks  (British  Museum),  London,  1912, 
p.  243,  No.  1698,  pL  xxiii. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later"  (British  Museum),  London,  1912,  p.  245,  No.  1708, 
pi.  xxiii. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  41 


An  early  instance  of  the  bequest  of  rings  is  offered 
in  the  case  of  Richard  II  (1366-1400),  who,  by  his 
testament,  left  a  gold  ring  to  each  of  the  nine  executors, 
five  of  whom  were  bishops  and  four  great  nobles.^*  In 
the  seventeenth  century  one  who  held,  and  still  holds 
sway  in  another  realm,  that  of  literature,  conformed  to 
this  usage,  for  in  Shakespeare's  will,  dated  March  25, 
1616,  rings  were  bequeathed  to  Hamlett  Sadler,  William 
Reynoldes,  Anthony  Nash  and  John  Nash,  his  fellow 
townsmen,  as  well  as  to  three  actors,  Burbage,  Heming 
and  Condell,  who  had  the  privilege  of  "  creating  "  parts 
in  the  greatest  dramas  ever  written.  The  sum  of  26^  Sd 
is  appropriated  for  each  of  these  rings,  about  $6.50  of 
our  money. 

As  the  fashion  became  more  prevalent,  the  number 
of  rings  provided  for  in  the  wills  of  well-known  persons 
must  have  constituted  quite  a  charge  upon  their  estates. 
The  quaint  and  delightful  Pepys,  that  close  observer 
and  great  gossip  who  knew  all  the  prominent  people  of 
the  London  of  his  day,  left  directions  on  his  death,  in 
1703,  for  the  distribution  of  123  memorial  rings  among 
his  friends.  One  of  the  most  important  events  in  Eng- 
lish history  is  believed  to  have  given  such  a  great  vogue 
to  this  usage. 

The  death  of  Charles  I  on  the  scaffold,  January  30, 
1649 — his  martyrdom  as  the  royalists  called  it — created 
an  ineffaceable  impression  upon  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  those  who  had  taken  the  king's  side  in  the  struggle 
with  the  parliamentary  party.    To  commemorate  this 

"  Memorial  Rings,  Charles  the  Second  to  William  the 
Fourth,  in  the  Possession  of  Frederick  Arthur  Crisp,"  privately 
printed  (London).  The  data  in  this  and  succeeding  paragraphs 
treating  of  memorial  rings,  are  (unless  otherwise  noted)  derived 
from  this  valuable  and  interesting  work. 


42 


RINGS 


sad  event  and  to  obey  the  last  injunction  of  the  unfor- 
tunate monarch,  "  remember,"  a  great  number  of  me- 
morial rings  were  made,  bearing  the  name  and  often 
the  portrait  of  Charles,  and  these  were  worn  by  the 
royalists.  It  appears  that  this  seemed  to  make  the 
bestowal  of  memorial  rings  a  more  general  custom  than 
before,  as  from  this  time  an  increased  number  of  such 
rings  appear. 

The  types  of  these  rings  varied  considerably  in  the 
course  of  centuries.  Those  of  the  sixteenth  century  were 
made  of  plain  gold,  or  of  gold  enamelled  with  repre- 
sentations of  a  skeleton,  spade  and  pick,  hour-glass,  or 
similar  emblems  of  death ;  the  inscription  was  engraved, 
usually  on  the  inside  of  the  ring;  occasionally  the  bezel 
was  rounded  into  the  form  of  a  skull.  In  the  period 
succeeding  the  death  of  Queen  Anne  (1714),  and  ex- 
tending to  about  1774,  the  fashion  gradually  changed, 
and  the  inscriptions,  instead  of  being  engraved,  were 
in  raised  letters,  thrown  into  greater  relief  by  the  appli- 
cation of  white  and  black  enamel.  This  style  is  said  to 
have  been  brought  from  France,  and  the  earliest  speci- 
mens are  presumed  to  have  been  executed  by  French 
workmen ;  an  example  of  this  type  of  ring,  dating  from 
1717,  is  in  the  Crisp  Collection.  In  one  such  ring  the 
inscription  is  enamelled  within  the  hoop.  An  excep- 
tionally fine  specimen  of  the  rings  of  this  period  is  that 
in  memory  of  Richard  Pett,  who  died  February  23, 1765, 
aged  76  years.^^  This  bears  an  amethyst  and  four  rose 
diamonds  in  an  openwork  setting.  Another  innovation 
during  this  period  is  the  employment  of  white  enamel 
in  the  case  of  rings  in  memory  of  young  maidens;  the 
earliest  example  dates  from  1726  and  was  given  as  a 
memento  of  the  death,  at  fifteen  years,  of  Dorothy 
Tenison,  daughter  of  the  Bishop  of  Ossory.  In  their 
search  for  novelty  the  goldsmiths  sometimes  had  resort 


«5  Crisp  Collection,  No.  334,  p.  115. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  43 


to  rather  grewsome  decorations,  and  the  bezel  of  some 
rings  has  the  form  of  a  cofFm,  within  which  Kes  a  skeleton, 
carefully  done  in  enamel. 

The  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  supplies 
us  with  some  of  the  most  elaborately  designed  memorial 
rings.  In  many  of  these  the  bezel  shows  various  em- 
blematic figures  formed  of  gold  wire,  seed  pearls,  ivory 
and  enamel;  one  ring  of  this  type  has  the  inscription: 
"  Heaven  has  in  store  what  thou  hast  lost."  However, 
hair  soon  became  the  favorite  material.  At  first,  a  lock 
of  hair  from  the  head  of  the  deceased  person  was  en- 
closed in  the  bezel,  no  attempt  being  made  to  form  any 
pattern;  but  soon  the  hair  was  spread  out  over  the 
surface  and  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  tree;  later  on, 
these  rings  show  us  an  urn  placed  beneath  the  tree,  and 
still  later  we  have  in  addition  a  male  or  female  figure  in 
an  attitude  of  grief,  all  these  being  formed  entirely  of 
hair. 

A  unique  ring  in  the  Crisp  Collection  is  a  memento 
of  the  death  of  seven  children,  the  eldest  not  over  nine 
years,  who  perished  in  a  fire  in  Leadenhall  Street,  Lon- 
don. This  gold  and  ivory  ring  bears  a  design  showing 
seven  cherubs'  heads  surrounding  the  words :  "To  eternal 
bliss."  At  the  back  of  the  bezel  is  inscribed :  "Translated 
18  January  1782." 

As  a  rule  there  is  little  variety  in  the  inscriptions 
upon  memorial  rings.  ''Memento  mori''  and  "  Not  lost 
but  gone  before  "  are  most  frequent.  On  the  ring  of 
Princess  Amelia,  the  favorite  daughter  of  George  III, 
who  died  November  2,  1810,  are  the  words  "  Remember 
me."  There  is  a  touching  story  regarding  this  ring. 
On  her  death-bed  the  princess  ordered  that  it  should  be 


«6  No.  632,  p.  197. 

^'^  Crisp  Collection,  No.  981,  p.  317. 


44 


RINGS 


made  and  had  a  lock  of  her  hair  enclosed  in  it.  As  she 
lay  dying  she  put  the  ring  on  her  father's  finger  with 
the  words  of  the  inscription.  The  loss  of  this  dearly 
beloved  daughter  appears  to  have  finally  determined  the 
madness  of  the  unhappy  king,  for  he  never  recovered  his 
reason  after  the  event. 

Another  interesting  ring  is  that  dedicated  to  the 
memory  of  the  rather  notorious  Lord  Lovat,  who  was 
beheaded  in  London,  April  9,  1747,  for  alleged  com- 
plicity in  the  Jacobite  rising  of  1745.  This  is  set  with  a 
crystal,  beneath  which  is  some  hair  between  two  rose 
diamonds,  and  bears  Lovat 's  last  words,  the  famous  line 
of  Horace, Dulce  et  decorum  est  pro  patria  moriJ" 

The  extravagance  and  tastelessness  shown  in  many 
of  the  more  elaborate  forms  of  the  memorial  ring,  have 
had  the  natural  result  of  causing  a  reversion  to  the  severe 
simplicity  of  the  earlier  types,  and  a  plain,  but  massive 

gold  ring,  with  the  words,  "  To  the  memory  of  " 

became  the  usual  type. 

Seven  Nelson  memorial  rings  were  shown  at  the 
Royal  Naval  Exhibition  at  Chelsea  in  1891 ;  two  of  these 
contained  some  of  the  hero's  hair,  and  one  belonged  to 
those  distributed  among  Nelson's  captains  and  other 
officers  after  his  death.  Of  the  two  rings  enclosing  hair, 
one  set  with  a  diamond  was  loaned  by  Messrs.  Lambert  & 
Co.  and  the  other  by  Admiral  Sir  Arthur  Farquhar, 
K.C.B.^^  A  fine  specimen  of  a  Nelson  ring  is  in  the 
British  Museum.  The  broad,  flat  hoop  expands  at  the 
shoulders,  and  in  a  raised  oblong  bezel  are  figured  a 
viscount's  coronet  and  a  ducal  coronet  with  N  beneath 

68  No.  165,  p.  69. 

6^  Notes  and  Queries,  11th  ser.,  No.  311,  December  11,  1915. 
p.  469. 


1,  memorial  ring  of  Charles  I,  concealed  portrait  beneath  a  table-cut 
diamond.   2,  memorial  ring  with  two  skeletons  supporting  a  sarcophagus. 
When  the  lid  is  raised  a  minute  skeleton  is  seen  within 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  design  for  a  memorial  ring  from  the  "Recueil  des  Ouvrages 
d'Orfevrerie"  by  Gilles  I'Egar^;  early  part  of  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  2,  En- 
glish memorial  ring  converted  into  a  memorial  of  Charles  I  by  the  following 
inscription  inside  the  hoop:  "C.  R.,  Jan.  30,  1649,  Martyr."  3,  memorial 
ring,  early  part  of  Eighteenth  Century 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Gold  memorial  ring  of  Capt.  Robert  Jackson,  died  October  29,1726, 
aged  fifty-six  years 
British  Museum 


Cameo  portrait  of  Louis  XII  of 
France,  cut  in  a  pale  ruby.  On  the 
gold  plate  at  the  back  of  the  bezel  is 
the  inscription:  Loys  XII™<^  Roy  de 
France  deceda  1  Janvier,  1515.  Latter 
part  of  Fifteenth  or  beginning  of  Six- 
teenth Century.   Double  linear  size 

C.  D.  Fortnum's  "Antique  Gems 
and  Jewels  in  Her  Majesty's  Collec- 
tion at  Windsor  Castle" 


Nelson  memorial  ring.  Gold  ring 
with  two  initial  letters:  N,  beneath 
a  viscount's  coronet,  referring  to  the 
title  Viscount  Nelson  of  the  Nile;  and 
B,  beneath  a  ducal  coronet,  for  the 
title  Duke  of  Bronte 

British  Museum 


Napoleon  memorial  ring  of  gold, 
said  to  be  one  of  six  given  those  con- 
cerned in  his  escape  from  Elba  in  1815. 
Portrait  concealed  beneath  hinged  lid 
British  Museum 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  45 


the  former  and  B  beneath  the  latter,  indicating  his  titles 
Viscount  Nelson  of  the  Nile  and  Duke  of  Bronte.  Below 
the  letters  is  the  name  Trafalgar  and  on  the  exterior  of 
the  hoop  appears  Nelson's  motto  ''Palmam  qui  meruit 
ferat (Let  him  bear  the  palm  who  merits  it) . 

There  is  historic  record  of  two  memorial  rings,  one 
set  with  an  emerald  and  the  other  with  a  sapphire,  the 
gifts  of  two  unhappy  royal  personages  made  shortly 
before  death.  The  first  of  these  rings  was  bestowed 
upon  the  great  French  preacher  Bossuet  by  the  Stuart 
princess  Henrietta  Anne,  who,  on  her  death-bed,  directed 
that  after  she  had  gone  to  rest  there  should  be  given  to 
Bossuet  "  the  emerald  ring  she  had  ordered  to  be  made 
for  him."  Of  the  second  ring,  that  set  with  a  sapphire, 
we  learn  that  shortly  before  her  execution  in  1587,  the 
unfortunate  Mary  of  Scotland  took  it  from  her  finger 
and  sent  it  to  her  faithful  follower.  Lord  John  Hamilton, 
in  whose  family  it  has  since  then  been  passed  down  from 
generation  to  generation  as  a  priceless  heirloom.'^^ 

Several  memorial  or  mourning  rings  are  among  the 
treasures  of  the  Figdor  Collection  in  Vienna.  One  of 
these  is  of  massive  silver  and  has  the  Old  French  inscrip- 
tion: "dort  couatr  (rest  in  peace)  ;  it  was  found  at  Huy, 
near  Statte,  Belgium,  and  represents  work  of  the  fif- 
teenth century.  Another  is  of  enamelled  gold,  and  is 
evidently  for  a  woman's  wear.  The  inscription  is:  "  R. 
C.  Not  lost  but  gone  before,"  in  gilt  letters  on  a  white 
enamel  ground.  This  is  an  English  ring  of  about  1800. 
A  German  ring  of  the  eighteenth  century  has  its  head 
formed  in  the  shape  of  a  coffin,  on  which  are  skull  and 
cross-bones;  on  its  sides  is  the  inscription:     Hir  ist 

A.  E.  Cropper,  "  Some  Notes  On  Three  Classes  or  Types 
of  Rings,"  in  The  Connoisseur,  London,  vol.  xix,  p.  184,  Sep- 
tember to  December,  1907. 


46 


RINGS 


Ruhe,"  (Here  is  rest).  When  the  lid  is  lifted,  a  heart 
is  disclosed  in  the  coffin  J  ^ 

Memento  mori  rings,  bearing  a  death's  head,  were 
sometimes  left  as  legacies.  Such  was  the  "  golde  ringe 
with  a  deathe's  head  "  bequeathed  by  Thomasin  Heath 
to  her  sister  in  1596,  "  for  a  remembrance  of  my  good 
will."  Shakespeare  wrote  in  his  Love's  Labour's  Lost 
(Act  V,  sc.  2)  of  "  a  Death's  face  in  a  ring,"  where  poor, 
pedantic  Holof ernes'  countenance  is  made  the  subject 
of  mockery.  A  rather  unaccountable  circumstance  is 
that  such  rings  are  asserted  to  have  been  worn,  toward 
the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  by  professional  "  ladies 
light  o'  love,"  if  we  can  safely  generalize  from  a  passage 
in  Marston's  "  Dutch  Courtezan."  '^^ 

The  ruthless  executions  carried  out  after  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  last  Jacobite  revolt  in  1745,  are  memorialized 
in  a  ring  of  the  period.  This  is  of  gold,  the  inscriptions 
being  defined  by  a  white  enamel  background.  On  the 
panel-shaped  bezel  are  the  letters  B.  D.  L.  K.,  the  initials 
of  the  Jacobite  lords,  Balmerino,  Kilmarnock  (exec. 
Aug.  18, 1746) ,  Deruentwater  (exec.  Dec.  8, 1746) ,  and 
Lovat  (exec.  April  9,  1747),  and  the  dates  8,  DEC.  9, 
AP.  18,  AU;  in  the  middle  is  an  axe  and  the  date  1746. 
The  initials  of  seventeen  of  these  lords'  followers,  ex- 
ecuted on  Kensington  Common  in  the  same  year,  are 
marked  on  the  hoop  of  the  ring."^^ 

Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and  Later,"  be- 
queathed by  Sir  Augustus  WoUaston  Franks,  K.C.B.  (British 
Museum,  London,  1912,  p.  xxxiii,  footnote. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval,  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  191S,  p.  204,  No.  1417. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  47 


In  the  possession  of  Waldo  Lincoln,  of  Worcester, 
Mass.,  is  a  memorial  ring  consisting  of  a  narrow  plain 
gold  band.  There  is  faintly  discernible  on  this  a  winged 
head,  apparently  a  skull,  similar  to  the  heads  of  this  type 
sometimes  to  be  seen  sculptured  on  old  gravestones. 
Around  the  inner  side  of  the  band  runs  the  following 
inscription:  "Ho^^^  I.  Winslow  Esq''.,  ob.  14  Dec^  1738 
M  68."  This  refers  to  Isaac  Winslow,  a  son  of  the 
noted  Josiah  Winslow  (1629-1680),  governor  of 
Plymouth  Colony  from  1673  until  his  death,  and  who 
was  the  first  native-born  governor  in  INev/  England. 
It  was  during  his  term  of  office  that  the  severe  contest 
with  the  Indians,  known  as  King  Philip's  War,  was 
fought  out  successfully. 

A  mourning  ring  with  a  strangely  materialistic 
motto  is  that  executed  by  order  of  the  Beefsteak  Club 
to  commemorate  the  demise  of  John  Thornhill,  Esq.,  on 
September  23,  1757,  according  to  the  inscription  in 
white  enamel  on  the  hoop.  The  bezel  is  fiat  and  of  oval 
form,  enamelled  in  pale  blue  and  white;  in  the  centre  is 
shown  a  gridiron  and  around  this  is  the  legend :  "  Beef 
and  Liberty."  The  Beefsteak  Club,  formed  early  in 
the  eighteenth  century,  was  Tory  in  politics,  an  oppo- 
nent of  the  Kit-Cat  Club,  whose  members  were  devoted 
to  the  success  of  the  Whigs. 

Rings  as  memorials  of  the  dead  suggest  the  mention 
of  a  memorial  ring  of  another  kind,  one  destined  to  favor 
the  revival  of  a  defunct  government.  When  Napoleon  I 
was  exiled  to  Elba  after  the  overthrow  of  his  empire 

'^^  Communicated  by  Waldo  Lincoln,  the  owner  of  the  ring. 

'^^  O.  M.  Dalton :  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediseval  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  232,  No.  1628,  , 


48 


RINGS 


and  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons,  many  of  his  faith- 
ful followers  clung  to  the  hope  that  he  would  return 
and  re-establish  his  rule  in  France.  In  order  to  aid 
in  keeping  this  hope  alive,  a  number  of  rings  were  made 
which  could  be  worn  with  impunity,  but  which  could 
also  serve  when  desired  as  proofs  of  the  wearers'  attach- 
ment to  the  Napoleonic  cause.  One  of  these  is  described 
as  a  gold  ring  on  which  a  minute  gold  and  enamel  coffin 
was  set;  on  pressing  a  spring  at  the  side  of  the  ring  a 
section  of  the  circlet  sprang  up  and  revealed  a  tiny  figure 
of  Napoleon  executed  in  enamel.^^ 

At  the  English  Bar,  the  usage  long  existed  that 
certain  chosen  barristers  should  be  given  the  title  and 
superior  rank  of  Serjeants.  In  important  cases,  a  Ser- 
jeant was  usually  retained  as  principal  manager  and 
chief  representative  at  the  trial,  and  generally  made  the 
statement  of  the  case  in  court,  while  one  or  more  ordinary 
barristers  got  up  the  evidence  and  aided  in  the  examina- 
tion of  witnesses ;  no  Serjeants  have  been  appointed  since 
1868.  As  with  almost  all  the  stages  of  an  English  law- 
student's  and  barrister's  progress,  heavy  expenses  had 
to  be  born  by  the  new  serjeant,  as  he  was  expected  not 
only  to  give  a  splendid  dinner,  or  rather  a  series  of 
dinners  lasting  for  a  week,  to  all  who  were  closely  or 
distantly  related  to  his  preferment,  but  to  bestow  a 
gold  ring  upon  each  one  of  the  numerous  guests,  these 
"  Serjeant  rings  "  varying  in  elegance  and  value  accord- 
ing to  the  rank  of  the  recipient. 

So  strictly  was  this  purely  traditional  custom  con- 
strued that  a  close  watch  was  kept  to  prevent  any  cheap- 
ening of  the  quality  or  intrinsic  value  of  these  obligatory 
rings.   As  it  had  been  laid  down  by  a  leading  authority 

Szendrei,  "  Catalogue  de  la  collection  de  bagues  de  Mme. 
de  Tarnoczy,"  Paris,  1889,  pp.  142,  14)3. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  RING  WEARING  49 


that  the  ring  to  be  given  to  a  chief  justice,  or  "  chief 
baron,"  must  have  the  weight  of  twenty  shillings'  worth 
of  gold,  a  formal  protest  was  made  on  one  occasion, 
when  rings  weighing  a  tenth  less  than  this  had  been 
bestowed,  not,  as  Lord  Chief  Justice  Kelynge  told  the 
newly  appointed  Serjeants,  because  of  the  money  value, 
but  "  that  it  might  not  be  drawn  into  a  precedent."  '^'^ 
The  average  cost  of  one  of  these  bestowals  of  rings  has 
been  estimated  at  about  £40  ($200). 

The  first  definite  notice  of  the  bestowal  of  Serjeants' 
rings  comes  from  the  later  years  of  Elizabeth's  reign, 
although  the  usage  is  believed  to  date  back  at  least  as 
far  as  the  time  of  Henry  VI  ( 1422-1461 ) .  The  Latin 
motto  on  a  ring  of  Sir  John  Fineux,  called  in  1485,  is 
Swce  quisque  fortunce  faher/'  or  "  Every  man  is  the 
artizan  of  his  own  fortune."  The  mottoes  engraved  on 
these  rings  have  varied  from  reign  to  reign.  One  of 
Elizabeth's  time  bears  '^Lea^  regis  'prcesidiumf'  ( The  Law 
is  the  stronghold  of  the  King) ;  under  Charles  II  the 
motto  was  ''Adest  Carolus  magnus"  (Charles  the  Great 
is  with  us).  Much  more  dignified  and  telhng  is  the 
motto  in  James  II's  reign,  ''Deus,  lex,  rex"  (God,  the 
Law,  the  King) ,  implying  that  God  is  the  source  of  the 
law,  and  that  the  law  is  above  kings.  As  to  the  heavy 
tax  sometimes  imposed  upon  a  new  barrister's  pecuniary 
resources,  it  is  stated  that  on  one  occasion  1409  rings 
were  given  at  an  expense  of  £773  ( $3865 ) .  The  usage, 
though  maintained  to  a  considerable  extent,  became 
somewhat  less  oppressive  toward  the  end  of  the  eight- 
eenth century,  but  even  in  1856  rings  were  given,  some 
of  them  bearing  the  motto  ''Cedant  arma  togce"  (Arms 

'^'^  Charles  Edwards,  "  The  History  and  Poetry  of  Finger- 
Rings,"  New  York,  1855,  pp.  86-90. 
4 


50 


RINGS 


will  give  place  to  the  Gown)  in  allusion  to  the  approach- 
ing peace  with  Russia  after  the  Crimean  War."^^ 

About  1830,  when  popular  feeling  was  roused  to 
the  highest  pitch  by  the  agitation  for  the  repeal  of  the 
Corn  Laws,  many  rings  were  set  with  the  following 
stones,  the  initial  letters  forming  the  word  "  repeal 

Ruby 

Emerald 

Pearl 

Emerald 

Amethyst 

Lapis  lazuli 

An  Irishman,  who  owned  such  a  ring,  noted  one 
day  that  the  lapis  lazuli  had  fallen  out,  and  took  the 
ring  to  a  jeweller  in  Cork,  to  have  the  missing  stone 
replaced.  When  the  work  was  completed,  the  owner, 
seeing  that  the  jeweller  had  set  a  topaz  in  place  of  a 
lapis  lazuli,  protested  against  the  substitution;  but  the 
jeweller  induced  him  to  accept  the  ring  as  it  was,  by  the 
witty  explanation  that  it  now  read  "  repeat,"  and  that 
if  the  agitation  were  often  enough  repeated,  the  repeal 
would  come  of  itself  J  ^ 

METHODS  OF  WEARING 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  large  number  of  rings 
that  some  of  the  noblewomen  of  ancient  Egypt  wore 
on  their  fingers  is  given  by  the  crossed  hands  of  the 
wooden  image  on  a  mummy  case  in  the  British  Museum. 

Hon.  R.  C.  NeviUe  (4th  baron  Brajbrooke),  "  The  Ro- 
mance of  the  Ring,  or  the  History  and  Antiquity  of  Finger 
Rings,"  Saffron  Walden,  1856,  pp.  25,  26. 

"^^  Londesborough  Collection :  Catalogue  of  a  collection  of 
ancient  and  mediaeval  rings  and  personal  ornaments,  London. 
1853,  p.  7.    Privately  printed. 


Crossed  hands  of  the  figure  of  a  woman  upon  a  mummy  case 
in  the  British  Museum 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Hands  from  portrait  of  a  woman.   School  of  Cranach 
British  Museum 


Hindu  ring  jewel  combining  a  ring  for  each 
finger  and  for  the  thumb,  a  large  ornament 
for  the  back  of  the  hand,  and  a  bracelet 
Barth,  "  Das  Geschmeide" 


Hands  from  Botticini's  "St.  Jerome  with  St.  Damasius  and  other  Saints" 
National  Gallery,  London 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


51 


The  left  hand  is  given  a  decided  preference  in  this  respect 
over  the  right,  there  being  no  less  than  nine  rings  on  the 
former  against  but  three  on  the  latter.  These  left-hand 
rings  comprise  one  thumb-ring  (the  signet),  three  for 
the  index,  two  for  the  middle  finger,  two  for  the  "  ring- 
finger,"  and  one  for  the  little  finger.  The  thumb  of  the 
right  hand  bears  a  ring  and  two  are  on  the  middle  finger. 

In  the  tomb  of  a  king  of  the  Chersonesus,  discovered 
at  Nicopolis  in  the  Crimea,  two  rings  were  on  the  king's 
hand  and  ten  on  that  of  the  queen.  The  style  of  work- 
manship indicated  that  these  rings  were  productions  of 
the  Greek  art  of  the  fourth  century  b.c.,^^  a  period  when 
in  the  Greek  world  rings  were  usually  worn  more  spar- 
ingly, in  contrast  with  the  fashion  that  prevailed  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  first  Christian  century  in  Rome. 

The  fine  Egyptian  collection  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  in  New  York  City  offers  an  illustration 
of  Egyptian  ring  wearing  at  the  beginning  of  our  era. 
This  appears  in  the  mummy-case  of  Artemidora,  daugh- 
ter of  Harpocradorus,  who  died  in  her  twenty-seventh 
year.  The  wooden  case  figures  the  form  of  the  deceased 
woman.  The  index,  fourth  and  little  fingers  of  the  left 
hand,  each  bear  a  ring;  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand 
have  been  broken  off.  The  hands  are  of  stucco  and  the 
rings  are  gilded. 

In  the  Golden  Age  of  Greek  gem-engraving,  from 
about  480  B.C.  to  400  B.C.,  the  scarab,  never  used  by  the 
Greeks  of  Asia  Minor,  came  into  general  disuse  in  the 
Greek  world,  and  a  type  of  ring-stone  appeared,  destined 
to  become  very  popular.  In  these  the  engraving  was 
often  done  on  the  convex  side  of  a  scaraboid  form,  the 
convexity  having  been  much  flattened  out,  while  with 


®^  Compte  rendu  de  la  Commission  Arch,  de  St.  Petersbourgj 
1864,  p.  182. 


52 


RINGS 


the  true  scarab  the  flat  underside  bore  the  engraved 
design  or  characters.  Occasionally  ring-stones  had  been 
originally  pierced  for  suspension.  The  flattened  scara- 
boid  marked  a  transition  to  the  flat  ring-stones;  but 
few,  if  any,  examples  of  these  antedate  the  beginning 
of  the  fourth  century  B.C. 

One  of  the  theories  given  by  Macrobius  to  explain 
the  wearing  of  rings  on  the  fourth  finger,  attributes  this 
usage  to  the  desire  to  guard  the  precious  setting  of  the 
ring  from  injury.  He  states  that  rings  were  first  worn, 
not  for  ornament,  but  for  use  as  signets,  and  in  the 
beginning  were  made  exclusively  of  metal.  However, 
with  the  increase  of  wealth  and  luxury,  precious  stones 
were  engraved  and  set  in  the  metal  ring,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  place  such  a  ring  on  the  best-protected 
finger.  The  thumbs  were  most  constantly  used;  the 
index  was  too  exposed;  the  third  finger  was  too  long, 
and  the  little  finger  too  small,  while  the  right  hand  was 
much  more  frequently  used  than  the  left  hand.  Hence 
the  choice  fell  upon  the  fourth  finger  of  the  left  hand 
as  the  best  fitted  to  receive  a  precious  ring.^^  Pliny 
declares  that  while  at  first,  in  the  Koman  world,  the 
ring  was  worn  on  the  fourth  finger,  as  was  shown  in 
the  statues  of  the  old  kings  Numa  Pompilius  and  Servius 
TuUius,  it  was  later  on  shifted  to  the  index  and  finally 
to  the  little  finger,^  ^  this  being  in  accord  with  our  modern 
custom,  for  men's  seal-rings  especially. 

Isidore  of  Seville,  in  his  brief  chapters  on  rings,  cites 
the  words  spoken  by  Gracchus  against  M^enius,  before 
the  Roman  Senate,  as  a  proof  that  the  wearing  of  many 
rings  was  then  considered  to  be  unworthy  of  a  man. 

51  Macrobii,  "  Saturnalia,"  Lipsiae,  1868,  p.  M6,  lib.  vii, 
cap.  13. 

52  "  Historia  Naturalis,"  liber  xxxiii,  24. 


r 


1 


SKETCH  KINDLY  MADE  FOR  THE  AUTHOR  BY  SIR  CHARLES  HERCULES  READ 
Curator  of  the  Department  of  British  and  Medieval  Antiquities  and  Ethnography  in  the  British  Museum, 

with  his  autograph  description 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


53 


The  speaker  calls  upon  his  hearers  to  "  look  upon  the 
left  hand  of  this  man  to  whose  authority  we  bow,  but 
who  with  a  woman's  vanity,  is  adorned  like  a  woman." 
The  Bishop  of  Seville  also  adduces  the  declaration  of 
Crassus  who,  as  an  explanation  for  his  wearing  two 
rings,  although  an  old  man,  said  that  he  did  so  in  the 
belief  that  they  would  further  increase  his  already  im- 
mense wealth.^ ^  Hence  he  must  have  thought  them 
endowed  with  some  magic  power. 

One  explanation  of  the  greater  supply  of  ancient 
gems  of  the  period  subsequent  to  the  Augustan  Age,  as 
compared  with  those  of  an  earlier  date,  has  been  found 
in  the  increasing  popularity  of  ring-wearing.  Horace 
(65-8  B.C.)  already  considers  three  rings  on  the  hand  as 
marking  the  limit  of  fashionable  wear,  but  Martial  (ab. 
40-104  A.D.),  writing  a  century  later,  tells  of  a  Roman 
dandy  who  wore  six  rings  on  each  finger.  As  an  instance 
of  the  multiplication  of  seal-rings,  Pliny  states  that 
the  signet  proper  had  to  be  placed  for  safe-keeping  in  a 
special  receptacle,  which  was  then  stamped  with  the 
impression  of  another  seal,  lest  some  improper  use  should 
be  made  of  the  signet,  the  equivalent  of  an  individual 
signature.®^ 

When  the  usage  of  wearing  rings  set  with  plain  or 
engraved  precious  stones  became  general  in  Rome, 
special  caskets  were  made — many  of  them  of  ivory — to 
contain  the  rings  and  other  small  jewels.  The  name 
dactylioiheca,     ring-treasury,"  was  given  to  such  a 

Sancti  Isidori  Hispalensis  Episcopi,  "  Opera  Omnis," 
vol.  iv,  col.  702,  Etymologiae,  lib.  xix,  cap.  33,  vol.  Ixxxii  of 
Migne's  Patrologia  Latina,  Paris,  1850. 

"  Historia  Naturalis,"  lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  6. 

Duffield  Osborne,  "  Engraved  Gems,"  New  York,  1912, 
p.  107. 


54 


RINGS 


casket.  The  first  Roman  to  own  one  was  Emilius 
Scaurus,  son-in-law  of  Sylla  (138-78  B.C.),  who  Hved 
in  the  early  part  of  the  first  century  before  Christ,  but 
for  a  long  time  his  example  was  not  followed  by  the 
Romans,  the  next  dactyliotheca  to  be  seen  in  Rome  being 
that  dedicated  by  Pompey  to  the  Capitol  in  61  B.C.,  out 
of  the  spoils  of  Mithridates  the  Great,  who  owned  the 
most  famous  gem  collection  of  his  time.^^  In  the  first 
century  a.d.  these  ring-caskets  came  into  general  use, 
and  were  regarded  as  indispensable  parts  of  a  rich  man's 
luxury.  This  is  brought  out  in  one  of  Martial's  epigrams 
when,  after  saying  that  Charmius  wore  six  rings  on  each 
finger  and  kept  them  on  at  night  and  even  when  he  took 
his  bath,  he  proceeds:  "You  ask  why  he  does  so? 
Because  he  has  no  dactyliotheca f'^'^  This  evidently  im- 
plies that  he  lacked  one  of  the  elements  of  Roman  "  good 
form  "  in  the  fashionable  world. 

The  Latin  epigrammatist  whose  brief,  caustic  poems 
are  a  mine  of  information  regarding  the  customs  and 
costumes  of  the  Romans  in  the  Imperial  age,  wrote  the 
following  couplet,  probably  designed  for  an  inscription 
upon  a  dactyliotheca,  or  ring-case : 

"  Often  does  the  heavy  ring  slip  off  the  anointed 
fingers;  but  if  you  confide  your  jewel  to  me,  it  will  be 
safe." 

In  the  large  ring  collections  of  royal  treasuries  or  of 
wealthy  nobles  in  mediseval  times,  the  rings  with 
precious-stone  settings  were  often  classified  according 
to  the  particular  stones,  and  then  those  of  each  of  these 
classes  were  strung  on  one  or  more  small  sticks  or  wands 

Plinii,  "  Naturalis  Historia,"  lib.  xxxvii,  cap.  11. 
^'^  Martialis,  "  Epigrammata,"  xi,  59. 

Martial,  Bk.  XIV,  No.  cxxiii ;  from  "  Martial  translated 
into  English  prose,"  London,  George  Bell  &  Sons,  1897. 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


55 


(bacula).  Among  King  John's  (1167-1216)  jewels  in 
the  Tower  of  London,  an  inventory  of  1205  hsts  several 
such  baculcej  one  with  26  diamonds,  two  with  40  and  47 
emeralds,  respectively,  another  shorter  one  with  7 
"  good  "  topazes  and  still  another  with  9  turquoises.^ ^ 
Jewellers  also,  were  wont  to  keep  their  rings  strung  on 
such  small  rods,  an  example  of  this  being  shown  in  a 
portrait  depicting  a  jeweller,  painted  by  an  unknown 
German  artist  of  the  sixteenth  or  seventeenth  century. 

With  other  royal  collections  of  rings  the  classified 
set  rings  were  kept  already  in  ancient  times  in  dactylio^ 
thecce,  or  ring-caskets,  the  term  dactyliotJieca  coming  to 
be  used  later  more  broadly  as  an  equivalent  for  "  ring 
collection "  or  even  "  gem  collection."  In  1272  the 
Crown  Jewels  of  Henry  III  of  England  included  a 
number  of  these  ring  boxes,  four  of  them  for  106  ruby, 
or  balas-ruby  rings,  two  for  38  emerald  rings,  one  for  20 
sapphire  rings,  and  another  for  11  topaz  rings  and  one 
set  with  a  peridot.^^ 

The  following  description  of  a  jade  (nephrite)  ring- 
box  of  seventeenth-century  Indian  workmanship,  in  the 
Heber  R.  Bishop  Collection,  is  given  in  one  of  the  great 
folios  treating  of  these  wonderful  jades.^^ 

A  small  covered  box  of  three  compartments  in  the  form 
of  three  compressed  plums  (or  similar  fruit)  held  together  by 
the  twigs  and  leaves  of  a  leafy  branch  which  projects  to  form 
a  handle,  and  hollowed  out  to  form  a  receptacle  for  finger-rings, 
studs  or  the  like.  The  box  proper  is  decorated  underneath  with 
leaves  carved  in  slight  relief,  and  is  flanged  on  the  edges  to 
receive  the  three  upper  segments  of  the  fruit  which  forms  the 

Hardy,  "  Rotuli  litterarum  patentium  in  tursi  Londinensi 
asseverati,"  London,  1835,  vol.  i,  pt.  i,  p.  55. 

Rymer,  "  Foedera,"  London,  1727,  vol.  i,  pp.  878,  879. 
QiOp.  cit„  vol.  ii,  pp.  249,  250,  No.  760,  illustration. 


56 


RINGS 


cover  and  are  similarly  decorated  on  top  with  plum  blossoms 
and  held  together  by  a  twig,  a  leaf,  and  an  upright  bud  which 
serves  as  a  handle.  The  whole  is  very  daintily  cut  and  polished, 
and  is  so  thin  and  of  such  translucency  that  print  in  contact 
with  it  can  easily  be  read  through  it.  The  mineral  is  remarkably 
pure  and  resembles  a  pale  transparent  horn. 

While  the  Greeks  and  Romans  did  not  usually  wear 
rings  on  the  middle  finger,  the  Gauls  and  Britons 
adorned  it  in  this  way.  In  the  sixteenth  century  it  was 
customary  to  assign  rings  as  follows,  according  to  the 
quahty  of  the  wearer 

To  the  thumb  for  doctors. 
To  the  index  finger  for  merchants. 
To  the  middle  finger  for  fools. 
To  the  annular  finger  for  students. 
To  the  auricular  finger  for  lovers. 

There  is  a  curious  Hindu  superstition  to  the  effect 
that  anyone  who  wears  a  ring  on  the  middle  finger  will 
probably  be  attacked  and  bitten  by  a  scorpion.  For 
this  reason  the  Hindus  are  said  to  avoid  wearing  any 
rings  on  this  finger,  although  the  others  are  laden  with 
them,  each  finger-joint  having  its  special  adornment.^^ 
In  the  Grseco-Iioman  world  also  there  was  a  prejudice 
against  decorating  the  middle  finger  with  a  ring. 

Regarding  the  liberality  with  which  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  of  the  second  century  of  our  era  used  ring  adorn- 
ments for  their  fingers,  the  great  Greek  humorist  Lucian 
gives  testimony.  In  his  writing  entitled  "  The  Cock,"  he 
makes  a  character  relate  a  dream  in  which  the  dreamer 
thought  that  a  rich  man  had  just  died  and  had  left  him 

®2  Schaumi,  "  De  annulis,"  Francofurti,  1620,  cap.  ix. 
»3  Col.  T.  C.  Hendley,  "  Indian  Jewellery,"  London,  1909, 
p.  79.    Journal  of  Indian  Art  and  Industry. 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


57 


his  fortune.  Thereupon,  in  his  dream,  he  saw  himself 
arrayed  in  splendid  raiment  and  wearing  siocteen  rings  on 
his  fingers.^^ 

Of  the  affectations  practiced  in  ring  wearing  by  some 
nouveau-riches  foreigners  in  Roman  times,  Juvenal 
says :  When  one  sees  an  Egyptian  plebeian,  not  long  be- 
fore a  slave  in  Canopus,  carelessly  throwing  back  over 
his  shoulder  a  mantle  of  Tyrian  purple,  and  seeking  to 
cool  his  perspiring  fingers  by  wearing  summer-rings  of 
openwork  gold,  as  he  cannot  bear  the  weight  of  gemmed 
rings,  how  can  one  fail  to  write  it  down  in  a  satire? 

Indeed,  to  judge  from  the  weight  and  size  of  some  of 
the  rings  that  have  been  preserved  from  ancient  times, 
this  practice  was  not  quite  so  foolish  as  it  may  seem,  for  in 
the  moist  heat  of  the  dog-day  in  Rome  such  heavy  rings 
may  well  have  been  a  burden.  With  the  Roman  ladies 
rings  bearing  images  of  the  animals  worshipped  by  the 
Egyptians  came  into  fashion  in  Imperial  times,  favored 
no  doubt  by  the  enthusiastic  worship  of  Isis  and  Serapis. 
Such  rings  are  said  to  have  been  worn  almost  exclusively 
by  women  up  to  the  reign  of  Vespasian,  when  men  began 
to  wear  them  also.^^ 

In  ancient  Rome  it  was  not  unusual  for  the  admirer 
of  a  philosopher  or  a  poet  to  wear  his  portrait  engraved 
on  a  ring-stone.  One  of  the  elegies  of  Ovid^^  (b.  43 
B.C.),  written  during  his  banishment  from  Rome,  by 
order  of  Augustus,  alludes  feelingly  to  this  custom.  The 
poem  is  addressed  to  a  faithful  friend,  who  wears  the 
poet's  portrait  in  his  ring,  and  Ovid  says:  "  In  casting 

Luciani,  "  Opera  Omnia,"  Paris,  1615,  p.  712. 
Juvenal  Sat.  I,  11,  26-30. 
®®  Schaumi,  "  De  annulis,"  Francofurti,  1620,  cap.  iv. 
Tristia,  Lib.  i,  el.  vii. 


58 


RINGS 


your  eye  upon  this,  perhaps  you  sometimes  say, '  how  far 
away  is  poor  Ovid  now! '  "  He  died  in  exile  in  18  a.d. 

So  huge  were  the  proportions  of  the  Roman  emperor 
Maximinus  (d.  238  a.d.),  who  rose  from  the  ranks  to 
the  imperial  dignity,  that  he  is  said  to  have  used  his 
wife's  bracelet  for  a  thumb-ring.^^  ^  The  great  size  of 
some  of  the  Roman  rings  to  be  seen  in  collections 
indicates  that  they  could  only  have  been  worn  on  the 
thumb. 

One  of  the  fingers  of  a  bronze  statue  in  the  British 
Museum,  a  Roman  work  of  the  third  or  fourth  century, 
A.D.,  has  a  ring  on  its  second  joint.  We  are  fortunate 
enough  to  be  able  to  reproduce  here  a  full-size  drawing  of 
this,  courteously  made  for  the  present  book  by  Sir 
Charles  Hercules  Read,  Curator  of  the  Department  of 
British  and  Mediaeval  Antiquities  and  Ethnography  in 
the  Museum. 

In  a  letter  to  M.  Deloche,  the  German  archaeologist 
Lindenschmit  states  that  in  only  one  instance  was  he 
able  to  ascertain  definitely  on  which  finger  the  rings  of 
the  early  mediaeval  period  were  worn.  This  concerned 
a  female  skeleton,  exceptionally  well  preserved,  owing 
to  favorable  conditions  of  sepulture;  on  the  fourth  finger 
of  the  right  hand  there  was  a  bronze  ring.  This  sepul- 
chre was  found  at  Obermorlen,  in  Hessen-Darmstadt. 
Researches  in  France  have  furnished  confirmation  of 
this.  In  the  Merovingian  cemetery  of  YeuUe  (dept. 
Pas-de-Calais)  a  woman's  ring  was  found  on  the  right 
hand  of  the  skeleton,  as  was  also  the  case  with  two  rings 
in  the  Visigothic  and  Merovingian  cemetery  at  Herpes 
(dept.  Charente),  and  this  proved  to  be  the  case  with 

^'^^  Julii  Capitolini,  "  Maximini  duo,"  cap.  vi ;  Scriptores 
hist.  August.,  vol.  ii,  p.  7. 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


59 


almost  all  the  early  medieval  rings  found  in  this  region. 
On  the  contrary,  M.  Albert  Bequet,  Curator  of  the 
Archseological  Museum  of  Namur,  and  the  French 
archaeologist,  M.  L.  Pilloy,  report  the  discovery  of  rings 
placed  upon  the  left  hand.  As  a  possible  explanation 
of  these  contradictory  results,  the  opinion  has  been 
advanced  that  the  rings  on  the  right  hand  were  wedding 
rings,  and  those  on  the  left,  rings  worn  for  ornament, 
as  there  is  good  evidence  that  at  an  early  period  among 
the  Gauls  the  betrothal  ring  was  put  on  the  right  hand, 
not  on  the  left."" 

The  portrait  by  Coello  of  Maria  of  Austria,  daughter 
of  Charles  V  of  Germany,  shows  on  the  fourth  finger 
of  the  left  hand  a  ring  set  with  a  large  table-cut  stone, 
which  may  be  a  ruby,  or  else  a  rather  dark-hued  spinel. 
The  right  hand  is  gloved,  the  parts  of  the  glove  covering 
the  index  and  fourth  fingers  having  slits  so  as  to  give 
space  for  the  rings  on  those  fingers.  There  is  an  elab- 
orate girdle  of  table-cut  stones,  a  richly  worked  cross 
with  three  pendent  pear-shaped  pearls  is  suspended  from 
a  gauze  scarf  about  the  neck,  splendid  pearl  earrings 
hang  from  the  ears,  and  the  coiffure  is  surmounted  by  a 
head  ornament  set  with  precious  stones  and  pearls. 

In  a  three-quarter  length  portrait  of  Henry  VIII, 
painted  by  Hans  Holbein  in  1540,  when  the  king  was  in 
his  forty-sixth  year,  he  is  represented  wearing  three  rings 
on  his  hands,  two  of  these,  set  with  square-cut  stones,  are 
on  the  index  fingers  of  the  right  and  left  hand,  respec- 
tively. The  third  and  smaller  ring,  also  set  with  a  square- 
cut  stone,  is  on  the  little  finger  of  the  king's  left  hand. 
There  is  an  intentional  harmony  in  the  jewelling,  for 


®^  Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  anneaux  dans  I'antiquite  et  dans 
les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age,"  pp.  61-63. 


60 


RINGS 


stones  of  the  same  form,  alternating  with  pearls,  adorn 
the  collar  suspended  from  Henry's  neck  and  serve  also  as 
decoration  for  the  sleeve-guards.  This  portrait  is  in  the 
Reale  Galleria  d'Arte  Antica,  Rome. 

Princess  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  VIII  and 
Catherine  of  Aragon,  and  afterwards  Queen  of  England 
(1553-1558),  is  portrayed  in  a  painting  in  the  Uni- 
versity Galleries,  Oxford,  by  an  unknown  artist,  as 
wearing,  in  addition  to  many  fine  pearls  both  round  and 
pear-shaped,  three  rings,  one  on  the  index,  another  on 
the  middle  finger,  and  the  third  on  the  fourth  finger  of 
the  left  hand.  That  on  the  middle  finger  is  set  with  a 
pearl,  and  the  ring-adornment  of  this  finger  is  quite 
worthy  of  note  because  of  the  comparative  rarity  of  this 
setting. 

A  large  pear-shaped  pearl,  figured  on  a  portrait  of 
"  Bloody  Mary,"  was  given  to  her  by  Philip  of  Spain, 
who  afterward  took  it  back  to  Spain  with  him.  It  later 
came  into  the  possession  of  Jerome  Bonaparte,  who  gave 
it  to  Queen  Hortense.  She  gave  it  to  the  young  prince, 
who  later  became  Napoleon  III,  and  he,  in  turn,  disposed 
of  it  to  the  Duke  of  Abercorn,  in  whose  possession  it  now 
remains.  Allison  V.  Armour,  Esq.,  to  whom  it  was  shown 
in  Ireland  by  the  Duke,  at  the  time  of  an  expected  visit 
from  King  Edward,  told  the  author  it  was  very  interest- 
ing to  note  that  it  had  apparently  preserved  all  its  origi- 
nal lustre. 

The  adornment  with  a  ring  of  the  second  phalanx 
of  the  right-hand  middle  finger,  appears  in  the  fine  por- 
trait, said  to  be  that  of  Mary  Stuart,  in  the  Prado  Gal- 
lery, Madrid ;  the  little  finger  of  the  same  hand  shows  a 
stone-set  ring,  worn  as  usual.  Over  the  elaborately 
embroidered  bodice  hangs  a  neck-ornament,  at  the  differ- 
ent sections  of  which  are  groups  of  three  pearls,  and 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  LADY,  BY  ANTON  VAN  DYKE  (1599-1641) 
The  thumb  ring  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  ring  on  the  index  of  the  left  hand,  are  both  set  with 
square-cut  stones,  the  last-named  probably  a  ruby 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York.   Marquand  Gift,  1888 


J 


PRINCESS  HATZFELD,  BY  ANTONIO  PESARO  (1684-1757) 
Large  pearl  cluster  on  little  finger  of  right  hand 
Cathclina  Lambert  Collection  sold  at  American  Art  Galleries,  New  York,  February,  1916 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


61 


there  are  pearl  earrings  in  the  ears,  as  well  as  groups  of 
pearls  in  the  head-ornament.  The  portrait  is  listed  as  a 
production  of  the  French  School,  but  is  of  doubtful 
authenticity  as  a  likeness  of  the  unhappy  queen. 

The  Italian  fashion  of  ring- wearing  in  the  sixteenth 
century  is  illustrated  by  the  portrait  of  a  noblewoman  by 
Lorenzo  Lotto,  in  the  Galleria  Carrara  at  Bergamo, 
Italy.  On  the  right  hand  are  two  rings,  on  the  fourth 
and  little  finger  respectively;  the  left  hand  bears  three, 
one  on  the  index,  apparently  set  with  an  engraved  gem, 
and  two  on  the  fourth  finger,  the  larger  of  which  seems 
to  have  as  setting  a  pointed  diamond,  while  the  smaller 
one,  possibly  bearing  a  little  facetted  diamond,  is  on  the 
second  phalanx  of  the  finger,  a  fashion  sometimes  fol- 
lowed instead  of  wearing  the  two  rings  together,  one 
directly  over  the  other,  on  the  third  phalanx. 

A  fine  example  of  a  pearl-cluster  ring  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  portrait  of  Princess  Hatzfeldt  by  the  artist 
Antonio  Pesaro  (1684-1757).  The  ring,  worn  on  the 
little  finger,  has  a  large  centre-pearl  surrounded  by  five 
smaller  ones,  the  whole  constituting  a  rather  inconveni- 
ently large  jewel,  although  unquestionably  a  very  beau- 
tiful one.  It  appears  to  be  the  only  ring  worn  by  the 
fair  princess  when  posing  for  her  portrait. 

Finger  rings  were  sometimes  worn  suspended  from 
the  neck,  usually  strung  on  a  chain.  This  custom  is 
testified  to  by  several  old  portraits,  among  them  by  one 
of  the  Elector  John  Constans  of  Saxony,  in  the  Collec- 
tion of  Prince  George  of  Saxony,  Dresden,  and  also  in 
several  of  Lucas  Cranach's  portraits.  In  one  of  the 
latter,  depicting  an  elderly  and  hard-featured  Dutch 
lady,  eight  rings  are  to  be  seen  strung  on  a  chain  or  band 
below  the  collar.  As  the  sitter's  hands  are  adorned  with 
five  rings,  her  object  may  rather  have  been  to  display  all 
her  choicest  rings,  than  to  wear  them  as  amulets,  although 


62 


RINGS 


this  superstitious  use  is  generally  believed  to  be  the  true 
explanation  of  wearing  finger-rings  suspended  from  the 
neck.  Sometimes  a  single  ring  was  hung  from  the  neck 
on  a  long  string,  and  rings  were  occasionally  worn 
attached  to  a  hat  or  cap,  as  shown  in  the  portrait  of 
Bernhard  IV,  Margrave  of  Baden  (1474^-1536),  by 
Hans  Baldung  Grien,  in  the  Pinakothek,  Munich/ 

The  painting  of  hands  adorned  with  one  or  more 
rings,  was  not  favored  by  several  of  the  portraitists  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  Few  if  any  rings,  for  example, 
can  be  found  on  the  delicately  shaped  hands  of  any  of 
Sir  Peter  Lyly's  beauties,  hands  undoubtedly  lacking  in 
individuality  and  conforming  to  a  preconceived  type. 
Vandyke's  usage  in  this  respect  varied,  probably,  with 
the  taste  of  the  respective  sitters,  although  the  frequent 
absence  of  rings  might  lead  to  the  inference  that  he  did 
not  favor  them  in  portraits.  The  great  masters  of  the 
sixteenth  century  certainly  gave  no  evidence  of  any  such 
prejudice,  their  realism  and  their  fondness  for  rich  orna- 
ment and  color  causing  them  to  adorn  the  hands  of  their 
subjects,  both  men  and  women,  with  valuable  and  finely 
wrought  rings.  With  eighteenth  century  painters,  the 
tendency  to  discard  rings  was  very  pronounced,  as  in- 
dicated by  their  sparing  appearance  in  portraits  of  this 
period. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  the  distribution  of  the 
rings  in  seventeen  portraits  of  the  Blakeslee  Collection, 
disposed  of  in  New  York  City,  March,  1916,  and 
representing  a  kind  of  average  for  the  period  from  the 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediasval  and  Later,  bequeathed 
by  Sir  Augustus  Wollaston  Franks,  K.C.B.  (British  Museum)," 
London,  1912,  pp.  xxv,  xxvii,  1,  figs.  6,  15. 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


63 


latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  to  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century: 


Thus  the  index  and  fourth  fingers  of  the  right  hand 
and  the  fourth  and  httle  fingers  of  the  left  hand  are 
almost  equally  favored. 

An  oil-portrait  of  the  Maharani  of  Sikkim,  painted 
in  1908  by  Damodar  Dutt,  a  Bengali  artist,  shows  this 
queen  decked  out  with  all  her  favorite  jewel  adornments ; 
among  them  are  two  gold  rings,  one  set  with  a  turquoise 
and  the  other  with  a  coral,  on  the  middle  and  fourth 
fingers  of  the  left  hand  (see  Frontispiece).  The  right 
hand  is  concealed  in  a  fold  of  her  mantle,  but  had  there 
been  any  rings  on  it,  it  would  probably  have  been  dis- 
played, to  judge  from  the  variety  of  the  ornaments  she 
was  pleased  to  wear  at  the  sittings.  She  is  a  full-blooded 
Tibetan  princess,  was  born  in  1864,  and  became  the 
second  wife  of  the  King  of  Sikkim  in  1882,  so  that  she 
was  forty-four  years  old  when  the  portrait  was  painted. 
At  this  time  she  and  her  husband  had  been  held  in  cap- 
tivity by  the  British  since  1893.  The  singular  crown  is 
the  one  adopted  by  the  queens  of  Sikkim.  It  is  com- 
posed of  broad  bandeaux  of  pearl,  turquoise  and  coral; 
the  gold  earrings  are  inlaid  with  turquoise  in  concentric 
rings ;  the  necklace  has  large  amber  balls,  and  suspended 
from  it  is  a  gau  or  charm-box,  set  with  rubies,  lapis  lazuli 
and  turquoise ;  on  the  wrist  is  a  triple  bracelet  of  corals.^^^ 

Berthold  Laufer,  "  Notes  on  Turquoise  in  the  East," 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Pub.  169,  Anthrop.  Ser., 
vol.  xiii,  No.  1,  plate  1 ;  Chicago,  July,  1913. 


Right  Hand 


Left  Hand 


Index  finger,  7 
Middle  finger,  1 
Fourth  finger,  7 
Little  finger,  1 


Index  finger,  4 
Middle  finger,  0 


Fourth  finger,  7 
Little  finger,  6 


64 


RINGS 


In  the  opinion  of  J.  Alden  Wier,  President  of  the 
Academy  of  Design,  New  York  City,  rings  can  scarcely 
be  regarded  as  in  any  sense  important  accessories  of  a 
good  portrait,  as  this  does  not  depend  upon  the  elabora- 
tion of  such  detail.  With  Popes  and  Doges,  and  with 
some  of  the  higher  ecclesiastics,  however,  rings  are  sig- 
nificant as  insignia  of  office,  and  are  therefore  depicted 
as  marks  of  individuality.^ 

A  fifteenth  century  example  of  a  thumb  ring  was 
found  in  England  at  Saxon's  Lode,  a  little  south  of  Up- 
ton. The  material  was  of  silver,  either  considerably  al- 
loyed, or  else  plated  with  a  baser  metal.  In  seventeenth 
century  times  in  England  the  wearing  of  such  rings  was 
favored  by  many  of  the  richer,  or  more  prominent  citi- 
zens, so  that  they  served  to  differentiate  the  wearer 
from  those  less  well-to-do,  although  he  might  not  have 
the  right  to  a  crest  or  coat-of-arms.  A  character  in  one 
of  the  Lord  Mayor's  shows  given  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  II  (1664) ,  is  described  as  "  habited  like  a  grave 
citizen, — gold  girdle  and  gloves  hung  thereon,  rings  on 
his  fingers,  and  a  seal  ring  on  his  thumb,"  like  Falstaff's 
alderman.^ 

Even  native  African  potentates  could  boast  of  fine 
jewelled  rings  in  the  seventeenth  century.  When  an 
embassy  of  Hollanders  came  to  visit  the  christianized 
King  of  the  Congo  in  1642,  and  were  ushered  into  his 
presence,  they  found  him  vested  in  a  coat  and  drawers 
of  gold-cloth,  and  adorned  with  three  heavy  gold  chains. 
On  his  right  thumb  was  "  a  very  large  Granate  or  Ruby 

Communicated  by  J.  Alden  Weir,  N.A.,  in  letter  of 
March  15,  1916. 

Journal  of  Archaeology,  vol.  iii,  p.  268. 


Two  wire  rings  from  a  tumulus  near  Canterbury,  Kent,  England,  one  with 
a  bezel  effect 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Ring  of  mixed  metal  set  with  engraved  stone  showing  a  monkey  looking  into  a  mirror 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  thumb-ring;  two  cockatrices  engraved  in  relief  on  agate. 
2,  ring  set  with  Gnostic  gem 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Two  gold  rings.    1,  with  high  cir- 
cular bezel;  Prankish  (?);  Sixth  or 
Seventh  Century;  2,  with  pyramidal 
bezel;  Lombardic  (?);  Seventh  Century 
British  Museum 


Agate  ring  with  a  Runic  inscription 
Late  Saxon 
British  Museum 


Massive  gold  ring  with  two  bezels,  one  engraved  with  circular  design  of  interlacing 
curves,  the  other  with  three  interlaced  triangles.   Late  Saxon 
British  Museum 


METHODS  OF  WEARING 


65 


Ring,  and  on  his  left  hand  two  great  Emeralds."  The 
red  stone  was  almost  certainly  a  large  cabochon-cut 
garnet,  and  it  is  very  doubtful  that  the  green  stones  were 
genuine  emeralds. 

Under  the  strict  discipline  of  the  Catholic  rulers  of 
Poland  the  wearing  of  rings  was  for  a  long  time  for- 
bidden to  the  Jews.  This  restriction  was  removed  in  the 
reign  of  Sigismund  Augustus  (1506-1548),  but  the 
permissive  decree  required  that  a  Jewish  ring  must  bear 
the  distinguishing  inscription  "  Sabbation,"  or  "  Jeru- 
salem." The  Jews  themselves  sometimes  enacted  rigid 
sumptuary  laws  as  to  rings,  for  instance  in  Bologna, 
where  a  convocation  of  rabbis  decided  that  men  should 
be  confined  to  one  ring,  while  women  were  not  to  be 
allowed  to  wear  more  than  three. At  a  later  period  a 
Frankfort  convocation  decreed  that  no  young  girl  should 
be  permitted  to  wear  a  ring.  Not  improbably  the 
natural  fondness  of  the  Hebrew  women  for  rich  jewels, 
a  fondness  already  emphasized  by  the  prophet  Isaiah 
(chap,  iii,  vs.  16-26)  in  the  case  of  the  Daughters  of 
Jerusalem  in  the  eighth  century  B.C.,  may  have  led  to  an 
excessive  use  of  fine  rings.  Indeed  any  strict  sumptuary 
regulation  always  implies  the  existence  of  an  undue  de- 
gree of  luxury  in  the  usages  that  are  subjected  to  legal 
restraint. 

A  unique  collection  of  ring  stones  may  be  seen  in  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  York. 
These  are  oval,  domed  stones,  about  one  inch  long,  and 
are  all  cut  so  as  to  fit  a  single  setting.  They  were  gath- 
ered together  by  an  old  gentleman  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  so  that  without  changing  the  gold  ring  to  which 

John  OgUby,  Africa,  London,  1671,  p.  559. 
Vogelstein  and  Rieger,  "  Geschichte  der  Juden  in  Rom," 
vol.  i,  p.  337. 
5 


66 


RINGS 


he  was  accustomed,  he  could  vary  the  color  of  the 
precious  stones,  thus  bringing  them  into  harmony  with 
that  of  the  waistcoat  he  was  wearing.  As  there  are  two 
hundred  and  forty  of  these  specially-cut  stones,  the 
waistcoats  must  have  represented  the  whole  gamut  of 
colors  and  shades.  A  few  of  the  stones  are  capped  with 
a  different  gem.  This  collection  was  presented  to 
the  Museum  in  January,  1873,  by  the  late  Samuel  P. 
Avery,  Esq. 

There  is  also  in  the  Museum  a  remarkable  collection 
of  rings  begun  in  the  eighteenth  century  by  a  Viennese 
imperial  and  royal  jeweller  named  Tiirk,  and  continued 
by  his  grandson  up  to  1860.  It  was  later  acquired  by 
J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  Esq.  The  settings  of  the  seventy 
rings  comprise  a  variety  of  colored  diamonds,  as  well 
as  emeralds,  sapphires,  and  a  number  of  uncommon 
stones. 


II 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  OF 
WHICH  THEY  ARE  MADE 

A  MONG  ancient  gold  rings,  one  of  Egyptian  work- 
±Sl  manship  is  especially  noteworthy  for  its  size  and 
weight  as  well  as  for  its  design.  It  is  ^  inch  in  its 
largest  diameter,  and  bears  an  oblong  plinth,  which 
turns  on  a  pivot;  it  measures  6/10  inch  at  its  greatest, 
and  4/10  inch  at  its  least  breadth.  On  one  of  the  four 
faces  is  the  name  of  the  successor  of  Amenhotep  III, 
Amenhotep  IV  (Akhenaten),  who  lived  about  1400 
B.C.;  on  another  is  figured  a  lion,  with  the  inscription 
"  lord  of  strength  " ;  the  two  remaining  sides  show  a 
scorpion  and  a  crocodile  respectively.  The  weight  of  this 
massive  ring  is  stated  to  be  about  five  ounces  and  its 
intrinsic  gold  value  nearly  a  hundred  dollars.^ 

Some  remarkably  fine  finger-rings  were  among  the 
ornaments  found  by  Ferlini,  an  Italian  physician,  when 
he  unearthed  the  treasure  of  one  of  the  queens  of  Meroe. 
These  rings  are  now  in  the  Berlin  Royal  Museum.  Some 
of  them  are  plain  hoops  to  which  movable  plates  are 
attached;  others  are  signet  rings.  In  a  few  specimens 
of  the  first-named  class  the  plate  is  so  large  as  to  ex- 
tend over  three  figures,  the  inconvenience  to  which  this 
could  give  rise  being  partly  obviated  by  joints  in  the 
plate,  so  that  the  fingers  might  be  moved  with  greater 
facility.  We  hardly  think  that  a  design  of  this  type  is 
ever  likely  to  become  popular  in  our  times. 

^  Sir  John  Gardner  Wilkinson,  "Manners  and  Customs  of 
the  Ancient  Egyptians,"  vol,  iii,  p,  373. 

67 


68 


RINGS 


Scarabs  strung  on  wire  so  as  to  be  worn  on  the  finger 
were  found  at  Dahshur  by  De  Morgan.  These  belonged 
to  the  Twelfth  Dynasty,  to  the  time  from  Usertasen 
III  to  Amenemhat  III  (ab.  2660-2578  B.C.) .  Stronger 
wire  was  used  at  a  later  time,  the  ends  being  thrust  into 
perforations  on  the  sides  of  the  scarabs.  In  all  these 
cases  the  scarab  and  the  circlet,  more  or  less  well  formed, 
were  separate  parts  loosely  put  together.  It  was  not 
until  the  Golden  Age  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  civiliza- 
tion that  complete  metal  rings  were  made,  in  which  both 
circlet  and  chaton  formed  one  piece.  Rings  of  the 
Egyptian  type,  although  strongly  modified  by  Ionic  or 
Phoenician  art,  were  introduced  into  Etruria  at  a  very 
early  period,  and  probably  thence  into  Latium.^  At  an 
even  earlier  date,  at  least  1200  B.C.,  scarab  rings  were 
worn  in  Cyprus,  several  examples  having  been  found  in 
sepulchres  there,  the  scarab  being  made  of  porcelain 
strung  on  a  gold-wire  hoop. 

The  ancient  rings  in  the  British  Museum  offer  ex- 
amples of  nearly  all  the  different  types  favored  in  early 
times.^  Some,  from  the  Mycenaean  period,  exhibit  a 
long  shield-shaped  bezel,  convex  above  and  concave  be- 
neath, across  the  direction  of  the  hoop;  others  have  a 
flat  band  decorated  with  plaited  or  twisted  wire  on  which 
is  set  a  bezel  holding  a  paste.  Phoenician  rings  of  the 
period  from  700  to  500  B.C.  present  a  variety  of  forms, 
some  being  swivel  rings,  the  extremities  of  the  rounded 
hoops  passing  into  beads,  in  which  are  inserted  the  pivots 

^  F.  H.  Marshall,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities,  British 
Museum,  p.  50,  Nos.  278-281 ;  pi.  vii.  No.  281. 

^  See  F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings, 
Greek,  Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities, 
British  Museum,"  London,  1907,  pp.  xxxvii— xlix. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  69 


of  a  scarab-setting;  another  type  has  elliptical  hoops, 
either  plain  or  ornamental,  the  scarab  being  in  a  filigree- 
decorated  bezel;  in  still  another,  the  lower  part  of  the 
hoop  is  twisted  into  a  loop,  so  that  the  ring  can  be  worn 
suspended;  there  are  also  some  plain,  fl^at  or  rounded 
hoops,  sometimes  with  the  ends  overlapping. 

The  Greek  and  Hellenistic  periods,  from  the  sixth 
to  the  second  century  B.C.,  furnish  a  large  variety  of 
forms,  some  copied  or  adapted  from  earlier  ones  and 
then  independently  developed.  A  rounded  hoop  taper- 
ing upward,  with  ornamental  extremities,  occasionally 
appears  in  fine  examples,  the  ends  of  the  hoop  repre- 
senting the  lions'  masks ;  the  bezels  are  frequently  of  oval 
shape,  and  the  shoulders  of  the  hoop  are  often  nearly 
straight ;  in  another  type  while  the  outside  of  the  hoop  is 
rounded,  the  inside  is  facetted ;  sometimes  there  is  a  high 
convex  bezel,  bevelled  underneath.  There  are  still  a  few 
swivel  rings  with  scaraboids.  In  the  Hellenistic  period 
appear  massive  gold  rings  with  square-cut  shoulders  and 
raised  oval  settings,  in  which  a  convex  stone  is  placed. 
Still  another  type  is  an  expanding  hoop  formed  of  two 
overlapping  ribbons  and  with  a  convex  bezel. 

Etruscan  rings  assume  various  characteristic  and 
peculiar  forms,  many  of  which  are  found  among  the 
Roman  rings  of  a  later  period,  indicating  the  derivation 
from  the  Etruscans  of  ring-wearing  among  the  Romans. 
One  of  these  in  the  British  Museum  has  a  broad  hoop 
ending  in  convex  shields,  a  scarab  being  pivoted  in  the 
terminals;  in  others,  the  hoop  is  hollow,  terminating  in 
cylindrical  ornaments,  between  these  a  scarab  revolves  on 
a  wire  swivel.  A  peculiar  example  has  a  grooved  hoop, 
the  ends  being  convex  disks,  in  which  is  pivoted  a  scarab. 
One  of  these  Etruscan  rings  has  a  very  large  convex 
oval  bezel,  around  the  slope  of  which  run  a  series  of 
embossed  figures. 


70 


RINGS 


As  an  example  of  Roman  art  found  in  Egypt,  we 
have  a  spiral  ring  of  serpent  form,  either  extremity 
terminating  in  a  bust,  of  Isis  and  Serapis  respectively. 
The  conjecture  has  been  made  that  this  ring,  and  others 
of  the  type,  may  have  been  intended  to  figure  the  reign- 
ing emperor  and  empress  of  Rome  under  the  types  of 
Isis  and  of  Serapis,  the  latter  a  Grseco-Egyptian  divinity 
as  worshipped  in  Alexandria  and  in  the  Roman  world, 
though  having  a  distinctly  Egyptian  form  in  the  national 
pantheon  as  Asar-Hapi,  or  Osiris-Apis.  The  rings  of 
the  type  described  have  the  advantage  of  being  easily 
adapted  to  a  finger  of  any  size,  since  pressure  at  both 
extremities  would  enlarge  the  girth  of  the  single  spiral.^ 

In  his  Etymologise,  Isidore  of  Seville  defines  three  of 
the  types  of  rings  worn  in  ancient  times,  the  ungulus, 
the  Samothracius  and  the  thynnius,^  The  ungulus  was 
set  with  a  gem  and  owed  its  designation  to  the  fancy 
that  the  stone  was  as  closely  attached  to  the  gold  of  the 
ring  as  a  human  nail  {ungulus)  was  to  the  flesh  of  the 
finger.  The  Samothracian  ring  was  of  gold,  but  had 
an  iron  setting.  Lucretius  in  the  sixth  book  of  his  great 
philosophic  and  scientific  poem,  "  De  Natura  Rerum," 
in  speaking  of  the  magnet  to  which  he  attributes  negative 
and  positive  powers,  of  repulsion  and  of  attraction,  re- 
lates that  when,  in  an  experiment,  Samothracian  rings 
were  placed  in  a  brazen  dish  beneath  which  a  piece  of 
magnetic  iron  was  moved  to  and  fro,  he  had  seen  the 
rings  leap  up,  as  though  to  flee  from  an  enemy.  The 
third  type  of  ring  was  the  tliynnius,  the  name  indicating, 
according  to  Isidore,  that  it  was  made  in  Bithynia,  called 

^  Figured  in  Cajlus,  "  Receuil  d'antiquites,"  vol.  ii,  p.  310. 

^  Sancti  Isidori  Hispalensis  Episcopi,  "  Opera  Omnia," 
vol.  iv,  col.  702,  Etymologiae,  lib.  xix,  cap.  32;  vol.  Ixxxii  of 
Migne's  Patrologia  Latina,  Paris,  1850. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


71 


at  an  earlier  time,  Thynna.  Horace  writes,  in  one  ot 
his  odes,  of  rings  "  chased  by  a  Thynnian  graver." 

Of  the  key-shaped  rings,  several  specimens  of  which 
have  been  preserved  from  Roman  times,  it  has  been  sug- 
gested that  the  key  projection  was  intended  to  serve  as 
a  guard  for  an  exceptionally  long  finger-nail,  similar  to 
the  finger-guards  the  Chinese  wear  for  a  like  purpose. 
The  fact  that  many  of  these  key-rings  are  evidently  too 
large  to  have  been  worn  on  the  finger,  makes  it  not  im- 
probable that  the  ring  form  was  arbitrarily  chosen,  and 
that  they  may  have  been  carried  suspended  from  a  girdle. 
Some  of  them,  however,  might  have  fitted  on  a  very 
stout  thumb,  and  a  few  of  the  rings  of  this  type  do  not 
exceed  the  ordinary  finger-ring  in  diameter.^ 

One  of  the  large  and  unwieldly  Roman  rings,  or  at 
least  a  ring  made  on  this  model,  bears  a  bust  said  to  be 
that  of  Plotina,  the  wife  of  Trajan.  This  was  in  the 
collection  of  Monsignor  Piccolomini.  The  extraor- 
dinarily elaborate  coiffure  shows  three  rows  of  facetted 
gems,  and  this  alone  may  be  considered  to  testify  against 
the  antiquity  of  the  ring.  Still,  even  as  a  production  of 
the  Renaissance  period,  the  fact  that  it  at  least  figures 
an  ancient  form  makes  it  an  object  of  interest  and  of  a 
certain  archaeological  value.*^ 

It  was  in  the  late  Republican,  and  especially  in  the 
Imperial  age  in  Rome,  that  the  greatest  variety  of  ring 
forms  were  produced,  originally  influenced  by  the  earlier 
Etruscan  art,  and  later  largely  by  the  extraordinary 

^  C.  D.  E.  Fortnum,  "Additional  Notes  on  Finger  Rings  and 
on  Some  Engraved  Gems  of  the  Early  Christian  Period," 
Archajological  Journal. 

Dom  Bernard  de  Montfaucon,  "  L'Antiquite  explique," 
Paris,  1724,  Suppl.,  vol.  viii,  p.  40 ;  pi.  xiv,  opp.  p.  43,  two  views, 
side  and  front. 


72 


RINGS 


eclectic  art  of  Alexandria,  where  the  combination  of 
Egyptian,  Oriental  and  Greek  elements  brought  forth 
many  peculiar  forms,  some  of  which  are  noted  else- 
where. A  Romano-Egyptian  ring  has  a  flat  hoop,  sub- 
angular  on  the  outside,  the  large  circular  bezel  being 
engraved  with  three  figures  of  divinities.  Then  there 
are  the  composite  rings,  sometimes  having  as  many  as 
four  hoops,  joined  together  at  the  back  of  the  bezel.  A 
striking  type  is  the  penannular  ring  in  the  form  of  a 
coiled  serpent,  or  else  having  at  each  extremity  the  head 
of  a  serpent.  In  another  form  the  bezel  is  lozenge- 
shaped. 

There  are  also  massive  rings  with  an  elliptical  hoop 
and  thick  projecting  shoulders,  the  setting  being  de- 
pressed ;  sometimes  the  shoulders  slope  sharply  up  to  the 
bezel,  forming  a  decided  angle  on  the  hoop.  Hoops 
polygonal  on  the  outside  and  circular  within  also  occur. 
Some  twin  rings  were  made  adapted  to  fit  on  two  fingers 
of  the  hand ;  in  one  of  these  are  three  cup  settings  hold- 
ing garnets,  one  on  the  top  of  each  hoop  and  one  between 
the  hoops.  In  some  instances  the  hoops  of  these  twin 
rings  were  not  closely  joined  to  each  other,  but  connected 
by  a  short  gold  chain,  so  that  the  rings  could  either  be 
worn  on  a  single  finger,  or  on  two  fingers. 

Many  of  the  hoops  of  the  later  Koman  rings  were 
elaborately  decorated,  either  in  openwork,  with  spirals 
in  wire,  or  with  beads  on  the  shoulders ;  this  latter  type 
is,  however,  more  probably  of  Merovingian  times.  A 
Roman  polygonal  hoop,  with  a  high-set  bezel,  has  on 
the  side  of  this  loops  for  carrying  a  string  of  pearls 
suspended  from  the  ring.  In  one  of  the  rings  specially 
designed  for  insetting  with  engraved  gems,  the  hoop, 
rounded  on  the  outer  side,  has  shoulders  ending  in  curl- 
ing leaves.   A  curious  specimen  is  a  plain  hoop  broad- 


Gold  ring  with  plain  hoop  on  which 
is  freely  looped  a  little  mouse  wrought 
in  gold  and  white  enamel.  It  slips 
around  the  hoop.   About  1600 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Gold  ring  of  Venetian  workman- 
ship. The  ends  of  the  hoopform  mon- 
sters' heads,  supporting  a  bezel  formed 
like  the  octal  of  a  flower.  XIV  Cent. 
British  Museum 


Gold  ring  set  with  an  amethyst 
Found  at  Lorsch,  Grand  Duchy  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  hence  called 
the  "Lorscher  Ring."  German;  end 
of  Tenth  or  beginning  of  Eleventh 
Century. 

Grossherzoglich  -  Hessisches  Museum, 
Darmstadt 


Silver  ring  having  projecting  bezel  "Regard  ring,"  with   seven  hoops, 

in  form  of  a  spur  with  revolving  The  initials  of  the  six  stones  spell  the 

rowel.    Italian  (.''),  Fourteenth  or  Fif-  word  "regard" 

teenth  Century  j^^^^^^ 
British  Museum 


Rings  of  modern  Egyptian  type.    1,  woman's  ring;  hoop  of  twisted  gold,  2,  man's  ring  made  by 
silversmith  of  Mecca,  with  stone  setting;  3,  cast  silver  ring;  stone  setting;  with  guards 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Pipe  stopper  ring.  A  silver  ring  on  which  are  set 
three  Indian,  rose-cut  zircons.  This  ring  was  placed 
on  the  finger  and  the  tobacco  in  the  bowl  of  the  pipe 
was  pressed  down  with  it.  French;  about  1750.  A 
similar  ring  was  figured  by  Hogarth  in  one  of  his 
illustrations 

Field  Museum,  Chicago 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  73 


ening  in  an  oval  bezel ;  in  this  has  been  inserted  an  intaglio 
head  in  sard,  the  shape  of  the  stone  following  the  exact 
outline  of  the  head,  without  any  margin. 

A  Burgundian  ring  of  a  form  that  M.  Deloche  be- 
lieves to  be  unique,  has  an  open  hoop.  At  one  extremity 
is  a  nail-shaped  attachment  which  can  be  passed  through 
the  other  extremity,  thus  closing  the  ring.  A  bronze 
ring,  also  Burgundian,  of  a  rare  or  unique  type  has  at 
the  bezel  a  high,  oblong  projection.  Both  these  rings 
are  of  the  Merovingian  period  which  closed  in  752  a.d.^ 

In  no  period  were  a  greater  number  of  ring  forms 
produced  than  in  the  Middle  Ages.  The  major  part  of 
these  mediaeval  rings  were  made  as  insignia  of  office  or 
rank,  for  sealing  official  documents,  or  for  ceremonial 
use.  One  of  the  earliest  is  that  known  as  the  Lorscher 
Ring.^  It  is  considered  to  belong  to  the  end  of  the  tenth, 
or  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  and  to  be  a 
product  of  German  workmanship  under  the  influence  of 
the  Byzantine  art  of  the  Merovingian  period.  The 
artistic  and  finely  executed  design  of  the  bezel  is  especi- 
ally worthy  of  admiration.  The  stone  set  therein  is  a 
light-colored  amethyst  cut  en  cahoclion  and  without  foil. 
This  ring  is  now  in  the  Grossherzoglich-Hessisches 
Museum  in  Darmstadt. 

The  Besborough  Collection  of  Gems,  shown  in  June, 
1861,  by  the  Archseological  Institute  of  London,  was 
interesting  for  the  high  artistic  excellence  of  the  rings 
in  which  many  of  the  gems  were  set.  A  number  of  them 
rank  among  the  finest  examples  of  Renaissance  work  in 
this  direction.  One,  set  with  a  sard  in  which  a  head  of 
Lucilla  has  been  engraved,  shows,  carved  in  flat  relief 

^  Deloche :  "  Etude  historique  et  archeologique  sur  les 
anneaux  sigillaires,"  Paris,  1900,  pp.  2^5,  226,  figs. 

^  Friedrich  Henkel,  "  Der  Lorscher  Ring,"  Trier,  1896. 


74 


RINGS 


on  the  gold  hoop,  two  nude  figures  bearing  in  their  hands 
torches,  the  design  continuing  completely  around  the 
hoop;  about  the  figures  are  doves  and  flowers.  This 
beautiful  specimen  of  goldsmiths'  work  belongs  to  the 
first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  pose  of  the  small 
figures  has  been  wonderfully  adapted  to  the  curve  of 
the  ring.^^ 

To  a  special  class  has  been  given  the  name  "  icono- 
graphic  rings,"  this  designates  those  bearing,  either  on 
the  bezel  or  the  sides,  images  of  the  Virgin  and  Child 
or  of  the  saints.  These  rings,  which  date  from  a  period 
running  from  1390  to  about  1520,  are  peculiar  to  Eng- 
land and  Scotland.  The  material  is  either  gold  or  silver, 
those  of  the  latter  metal  showing  much  ruder  workman- 
ship than  was  devoted  to  the  gold  rings. 

What  must  have  been  regarded  in  its  time  as  an  ex- 
ceptionally ornate  ring  is  listed  in  an  inventory  of  1416. 
It  is  described  as  a  gold  ring  having  a  helmet  and  a  shield 
made  of  a  sapphire,  the  shield  bearing  the  arms  of  "Mon- 
seigneur."  As  supports  of  the  shield  were  an  emerald 
bear  and  a  swan  made  of  a  white  chalcedony. 

An  ornate  though  tasteless  type  of  Italian  rings  were 
those  called  "  giardinetti,"  showing  flower  baskets,  jar- 
dinieres, or  nosegays,  the  flowers  being  figured  by 
precious  stones  and  pearls,  with  stems  and  leaves  of  gold. 
As  the  aim  was  purely  decorative,  the  stones  and  pearls 

C.  W.  King,  "  Notices  of  Glyptic  Arch«ology  exhibited 
by  the  Archaeological  Institute  in  June,  1861,"  London  (Report 
from  Archaeological  Journal),  p.  12. 

"  Catalogue  of  the  Special  Exhibition  of  Works  of  Art  at 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,"  section  32, 
"  Rings,"  by  Edmund  Waterton,  p.  622. 

De  Laborde,  "  Notice  des  emaux  du  Musee  du  Louvre," 
2d  Part,  "  Documents  et  Glossaire,"  p.  131,  s.  v.  Anel. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


75 


were  usually  small  and  inexpensive  ones.  Very  few  such 
rings  have  been  made  in  recent  times,  but  from  the  six- 
teenth to  the  eighteenth  century  they  were  much  favored 
and  a  number  of  fine  specimens  have  been  preserved 
from  that  period/^ 

A  ring-setting  consisting  of  a  turquoise  surrounded 
by  small  diamonds  appears  to  have  been  favored  in  Eng- 
land in  the  seventeenth  century,  for  Samuel  Pepys  in  his 
"  Diary,"  under  date  of  February  18,  1668,  writes  that 
he  had  been  shown  a  "  ring  of  a  Turkey-stone,  set  with 
little  sparks  of  diamonds." 

A  "  Trinity  Ring,"  that  is  a  ring  consisting  of  three 
intertwined  circlets,  was  shown  in  February,  1857,  to 
the  Society  of  Antiquaries  in  London  by  Mr.  Octavius 
Morgan.  This  specimen,  carved,  or  turned  out  of  a 
circular  band  of  ivory,  was  believed  to  be  one  of  three 
executed  by  the  German  ivory  carver,  Stephan  Zick 
(1639-1715),  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  make 
a  ring  of  this  type  out  of  ivory,  although  they  may  have 
been  made  of  gold — no  exceptionally  difficult  task — 
before  Zick  executed  his  ivory  rings.^^  This  ring,  or 
one  similar  to  it,  is  now  in  the  British  Museum,  Franks 
Bequest. 

While  the  rings  of  the  Louis  Quinze  period  were 
generally  of  delicate  and  beautiful  form,  the  tendency 
to  exaggeration  in  fashions  that  characterized  the  suc- 
ceeding Louis  Seize  period  found  expression  in  rings 
of  disproportionate  size.  At  the  same  time  both  the 
number  of  rings  in  a  fine  lady's  jewel  casket,  and  the 
number  she  would  wear  at  the  same  time  upon  her  hand, 
greatly  increased  over  what  was  customary  in  the  pre- 

^3  Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  p.  118. 
William  Jones,  "Finger-Ring  Lore,"  London,  1877, 
pp.  487,  488. 


76 


RINGS 


ceding  reign.  Thus  Bachaument,  in  his  "  Memoires 
Secrets,"  states  that  at  the  sale  of  Mile,  de  Beauvoisin's 
jewels,  which  took  place  November  22,  1784,  there  were 
200  rings  rivalling  one  another  in  magnificence.  Another 
French  author  of  this  time,  M.  Mercier,  wrote  in  1782 
"  when  one  takes  the  hand  of  a  pretty  woman,  one  only 
has  the  sensation  of  holding  a  quantity  of  rings  and 
angular  stones,  and  it  would  be  necessary  first  to  strip 
these  off  the  hand  before  we  could  perceive  its  form  and 
delicacy." 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  early  days  of  the  Revolution 
brought  into  vogue  rings  set  with  a  little  fragment  of 
the  stone-work  of  the  recently  demolished  Bastille;  at 
the  same  time  wedding-rings  were  enamelled  in  red, 
white  and  blue,  the  new  Republican  colors.  At  the  out- 
set the  young  royalists,  as  a  protest,  wore  rings  of  tor- 
toise-shell, with  the  motto,  Domine  salvum  fac  regem, 
"  God  save  the  King." 

A  type  of  ring  that  became  popular  during  the 
darkest  days  of  the  French  Revolution,  the  period  of 
the  dreadful  Reign  of  Terror,  was  that  of  a  large  silver 
hoop  with  a  plain  gold  bezel  on  which  was  graven  the 
head  of  some  one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  time,  such 
as  Marat,  De  Chalier,  or  De  Lepelletier  St.-Fargeau. 

There  are  several  significant  French  proverbs  re- 
garding rings,  of  which  we  may  here  note  the  following: 
''Ne  mets  pas  ton  doigt  en  anneau  trop  etroW  (Do  not 
put  your  finger  in  too  small  a  ring)  ;  ''Anneau  en  main, 
honneur  vain''  (A  ring  on  the  finger  is  an  empty  honor)  ; 
"Bague  d'amie  porte  envie''  (The  ring  of  a  lady  friend 
arouses  envy) . 

Portrait  rings  were  very  popular  at  the  time  of  the 
French  Revolution,  as  they  afforded  an  opportunity  for 
the  expression  of  the  ardent  devotion  to  particular  per- 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


77 


sonalities  characteristic  of  that  troublous  period.  Many 
Washington  rings  and  Robespierre  rings  were  to  be 
seen,  bearing  the  enamelled  portrait  of  the  respective 
hero,  but  the  most  popular  were  the  Franklin  rings,  for 
Franklin's  personal  influence,  born  of  his  sterling  qual- 
ities of  insight  and  common  sense,  and  perhaps  strength- 
ened by  the  contrast  of  his  cool-headedness  with  the  fever- 
ish excitement  of  the  Paris  of  that  time,  was  wide  and 
far-reaching. 

Hindu  tradition  tells  of  the  wearing  of  rings  in  India 
in  very  ancient  times.  The  earliest  forms  used  by  the 
Brahmans  in  their  forest  life,  were  woven  of  kusa-grass 
(Saccharum  spontaneum) ,  and  even  in  our  time  rings 
of  this  kind  are  worn  by  those  assisting  at  a  religious 
ceremony,  as  otherwise  the  water  offered  to  gods  or  to 
the  spirits  of  ancestors  will  not  be  accepted.  As  to  metal 
rings,  Hindu  law  assigns  those  of  gold  to  the  index  finger 
and  silver  rings  to  the  fourth  finger. 

A  story  related  in  the  Hindu  epic  "  Mahabharata  " 
alludes  to  a  trick  or  magic  practice  with  rings,  denom- 
inated ishika,  A  ring  was  thrown  into  a  deep  well  and 
then  recovered  in  some  mysterious  way  after  it  had 
seemed  to  be  irrevocably  lost.  The  "  Mahabharata  " 
in  its  present  form  may  date  from  about  500  a.d.  The 
other  great  Hindu  epic,  the  Ramayana  of  Valmiki, 
written  perhaps  as  early  as  500  B.C.  even  mentions  en- 
graved rings.  When  Sita,  wife  of  Kama,  the  hero  of 
the  poem,  is  abducted  by  Ravana,  the  ten-headed  Cing- 
halese  giant,  Rama  sends  a  monkey  called  Hanuman  to 
seek  for  her,  giving  him  a  seal  ring  as  a  token.  As  soon 
as  the  monkey  succeeds  in  finding  Sita,  he  approaches 
her  holding  out  the  ring  and  saying,  "  Gracious  Lady, 
I  am  the  messenger  of  Rama.  Look,  here  is  his  ring 
engraved  with  his  name." 


78 


RINGS 


In  Sanskrit  books  the  following  types  and  kinds  of 
rings  are  mentioned: 

Dwi-hiraJc  (double  diamond). — Rings  with  a  diamond  on 
either  side  and  a  sapphire  in  the  centre. 

Vajra  (diamond,  thunderbolt). — A  triangular  finger  orna- 
ment, with  a  diamond  in  the  centre  and  other  stones  on  the  sides. 

Ravimandal. — ring  with  diamonds  on  the  sides  and  other 
stones  in  the  middle. 

Nandydvarrta. — four-sided  finger  ornament  studded  with 
precious  stones. 

Nava-ratna  or  Navagraha. — A  ring  on  which  the  nine  most 
precious  stones  have  been  set.  The  nine  precious  stones  in 
Sanskrit  are  called:  Hirak,  Ndnikya,  Baiduryya,  Muktd,  Gomedj 
Bidrum  or  Frahdl,  Marakata,  Pushpa-rdg,  and  Indranil;  or 
the  Diamond,  Ruby,  Cat's-eye,  Pearl,  Zircon,  Coral,  Emerald, 
Topaz,  and  Sapphire. 

Bajra-beshtak. — Ring  of  which  the  upper  circumference  is 
set  with  diamonds. 

Trihirak  (triple  diamond). — Ring  with  two  small  diamonds 
on  the  sides  and  a  big  one  in  the  centre. 

Sukti-mudrikd. — Ring  made  like  the  hood  of  a  cobra  snake, 
with  diamonds  and  precious  stones  on  the  upper  surface. 

Mudrd  or  Anguli-mudrd. — Ring  with  name  engraved  upon  it. 

These  are  some  of  the  principal  names  for  finger  rings  in 
modern  India: 

Angushtri. — A  ring  set  with  stones,  called  also  Mundri  or 
Anguthi. 

Chhalld. — The  chhalld  is  a  quite  plain  hoop  or  whole  hoop 
ring  (with  or  without  stones),  being  gold  or  silver,  but  the  same 
all  round.    Worn  also  on  the  toes. 

Angushtdrd  or  Anguthd. — A  big  ring  with  a  broad  face, 
worn  on  the  great  toe. 

Khari  panjdngla. — A  set  of  finger  rings  of  ordinary  shape. 

Shdhdlami  or  Khdri. — A  ring  of  long  oval  shape. 


T.  N.  Mukharji,  "Art  Manufactures  of  India,"  Calcutta, 
1888,  pp.  105-107. 


Oriental  gold  ring,  large  globular 
bezel  with  leaves  and  flowers  in  open- 
work. Said  to  have  belonged  to  Chief 
Samory 

British  Museum 


Oriental  rings.    1,  of  cast  silver;  2,  of  brass;  3,  of 
silver;  4-6,  Moorish  rings:    4,  set  with  turquoise  and 
rubies;  5,  with  octagonal  bloodstone  and  turquoise; 
6j  signet-ring  bearing  name  of  owner  on  a  carnelian 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  ring  with  pendent  garnets;  2,  silver  ring.  East  Indian.  The 
loose-hung  silver  drops  jingle  as  the  hand  moves 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Elaborate  East  Indian  ring,  with  figure  of  Buddha.  Hoop  of  peculiar  shape  to  keep  the  ring  from 

falling  off  the  finger 
Courtesy  of  Miss  Helen  Bainbridge 


Rings  made  by  Siamese  Bonza,  or  Priest,  from  metal  lying  about  among  the  idols  at 
Ongchor,  Old  Cambodia,  in  1871 
Courtesy  of  Mr.  Walter  C.  Wyman 


FORMS  OF  KINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


79 


Birhamgand. — ^A  broad  ring. 

In  Bombay,  the  local  designations  for  finger  rings  are: 
Angthi,  Salle,  Mohorechi  Angthi  and  Khadyachya  angthya; 
toe- rings  are  named:  Ranajodvi,  Jodvi,  Phule,  Gendy  and 
Masolia}^ 

Rings,  necklaces,  armlets  and  Sirpech  (or  tiaras)  are 
made  at  Bikanir,  and  exquisitely  light  and  fine  rings  of 
gold  and  silver  are  produced  at  Jhansi  in  the  Gwalior 
territory.  An  unusual  form  of  ring  ornamentation  ap- 
pears in  a  silver  ring  of  Indian  workmanship,  dated  in 
the  fourteenth  or  fifteenth  century.  This  has  a  pro- 
jecting bezel  in  the  form  of  a  spur,  with  a  revolving 
swivel.  A  ring  of  similar  design,  believed  to  be  Vene- 
tian, now  in  the  Ashmolean  Museum,  Oxford,  was 
brought  from  Chalis.^^ 

The  rings  made  by  the  Hindu  goldsmiths  are  in 
many  cases  very  elaborately  chased  and  ornamented,  in 
the  ornate  style  characteristic  of  Indian  jewellery.  The 
women  of  the  Deccan  almost  universally  wear  rings; 
they  are  usually  of  gold,  a  silver  ring  being  looked  upon 
as  showing  meanness  on  the  part  of  the  wearer.  There 
does  not  appear  to  be  any  preference  of  one  finger  over 
the  other  for  decoration  with  rings.  One  of  the  most 
attractive  types  is  a  closely-fitting  ring  to  which  is  affixed 
a  little  mirror,  about  the  size  of  a  silver  quarter-dollar; 
this  may  be  mounted  either  in  gold  or  silver,  and  un- 
doubtedly Hindu  female  vanity  finds  this  thumb  mirror 
of  some  practical  use.  With  its  rich  ornamentation  a 
ring  of  this  kind  is  in  itself  a  pretty  jewel,  but  would 

16  T.  N.  Mukharji,  "Art  Manufactures  of  India,"  pp.  124- 
Calcutta,  1888. 

^'^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval,  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  247,  fig. 


80 


RINGS 


hardly  suit  Occidental  taste  on  account  of  its  size  and  the 
inconvenience  of  wearing  it.  A  rather  singular  fact  is 
that  mirror-rings  are  sometimes  worn  on  the  great  toe, 
where  they  would  seem  to  be  quite  useless;  but  it  has 
been  suggested  that  as  the  Hindu  women  of  the  better 
class  commonly  have  their  feet  nearly  or  quite  bare  when 
in  their  apartments,  and  have  acquired  the  power  to 
move  and  use  their  feet  much  more  freely  than  is  the  case 
with  Occidentals,  a  toe  mirror  might  possibly  be  of  some 
slight  utility;  still,  it  seems  probable  that  they  are 
purely  ornamental  and  came  into  fashion  in  imitation  of 
the  thumb-mirrors.  Many  varieties  of  toe-rings  are 
made,  a  special  type  being  that  for  wear  on  the  middle 
toe.'« 

A  ring  of  an  unusual  form  is  worn  on  the  great  toe  of 
the  left  foot  by  some  Hindu  married  women,  as  a  dis- 
tinguishing mark  of  the  married  state.  Men  frequently 
wear  a  ring  on  the  big  toe  for  curative  purposes,  or  to 
augment  their  masculine  vigor.  These  toe-rings  of  the 
men  are  not  generally  closed  circles,  but  open  hoops,  so 
that  they  can  be  easily  removed  when  this  is  desirable.^  ^ 

The  art  of  the  Persian  goldsmith  in  the  fifteenth 
century  is  displayed  in  a  ring  belonging  to  one  of  the 
splendid  collections  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art, 
in  New  York.  It  is  of  massive  form  with  an  immense 
bezel,  richly  decorated  in  openwork;  the  hoop  is  also 
elaborately  chased.  The  flat  surface  of  the  bezel  is 
adorned  with  a  design  in  keeping  with  the  ornamentation 
of  its  sides  and  of  the  hoop.  For  a  large  and  massive  ring 

IS  Col.  T.  H.  Hendley,  "  Indian  Jewellery,"  Journal  of 
Indian  Art  and  Industry,  vol.  xii,  pp.  4,  5 ;  1907-1909.  Figs, 
on  plates  6,  7,  8,  15,  18. 

^»  Ibid.,  p.  103. 


INDIAN  TOE  RINGS  OF  SILVER,  MADRAS  PRESIDENCY 
1,  three  views  of  ring  worn  on  second  and  third  toes  of  the  left  foot;  the  conventional  fish  is  an  emblem  of  Siva 

2,  3,  4,  other  toe  rings 
Journal  of  Indian  Art  and  Industry,  vol.  v,  1894 


RICH  CINGIIALKSE  MER(  HAN  T,  IN  (.ALA  DUKSS 
The  immense,  round  ring  on  the  little  finger  of  his  right  hand  is  a  favorite  adornment  in  Ceylon;  smaller  rings  are 
on  the  fourth  finger  of  right  hand,  and  on  the  little  finger  of  left  hand 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  81 


this  one  is  remarkably  well-proportioned  and  harmonious 
in  design. 

A  good  specimen  of  the  rings  worn  on  state  occasions 
by  East  Indian  princes  was  sold  in  February,  1913,  at 
the  American  Art  Galleries.  It  is  of  gold,  but  bears  no 
precious  stones;  the  circlet  is  ornamented  with  white 
enamelled  crocodiles,  and  also  with  a  minute  enamelled 
figure,  within  a  temple  and  incased  in  glass ;  the  bezel  of 
this  ring  is  decorated  in  blue,  green  and  red  enamel. 

While  the  simpler  Chinese  rings  as  a  general  rule  are 
unset,  usually  consisting  merely  of  a  plain  silver  band 
on  which  are  engraved  designs  of  various  objects,  or  else 
coated  with  ornaments  in  enamel,  the  rings  of  the 
Tibetans  display  a  considerable  variety  of  settings,  tur- 
quoise, coral,  agate,  mother-of-pearl,  mica  and  similar 
stones  being  used.  Few  or  none  of  the  true  precious 
stones  are  to  be  found  in  the  rings  of  these  countries. 
The  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  Chicago  has 
a  large  number  of  specimens  some  of  which  are  figured 
in  the  accompanying  plate. 

A  collection  of  some  two  dozen  rings  of  artistic 
Siamese  workmanship  were  sent  to  the  Chicago  Exhibi- 
tion of  1893,  in  charge  of  Prince  Surrya,  later  Siamese 
ambassador  to  France.  These  rings  were  of  nearly  pure 
gold,  and  were  ornamented  with  designs  in  red,  green, 
and  white  enamel,  representing  animals,  fish,  and  other 
forms,  but  never  human  figures.  They  were  believed  to 
be  of  considerable  age  and  historic  value;  indeed,  they 
were  so  highly  prized  that  they  were  not  publicly  ex- 
hibited but  were  kept  locked  up  in  a  safe,  and  only  rarely 
displayed  to  some  especially  favored  visitor.   After  the 

Communicated  by  Dr.   Berthold  Laufer,   Curator  of 
Anthropology,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago. 


82 


RINGS 


close  of  the  Exhibition  they  were  safely  returned  to  Siam. 

An  American  traveller  in  Cambodia,  in  1871,  suc- 
ceeded in  having  a  few  rings  made  for  him  by  a  native 
Buddhist  bonza,  the  material  being  old  metal  found  lying 
about  among  the  idols  of  a  temple  at  Ongchor.  The 
work  of  the  priest  gives  evidence  of  a  considerable  degree 
of  skill  in  design,  doubtless  derived  from  examination 
and  study  of  native  and  Indian  types  of  rings.  The 
type  having  an  intertwined  bezel  prevails;  one  massive 
ring  is  penannular.^^  An  elaborate  Burmese  ring  has 
the  hoop  in  the  form  of  a  serpent,  whose  open  mouth 
displays  the  death-dealing  fangs.  Along  the  body  runs 
a  continuous  band  of  rubies  placed  in  oval  settings. 
The  rest  of  the  surface  is  adorned  with  green,  red  and 
white  enamel — mouth,  nose,  tail  and  scales  being 
brought  out  in  this  way.  Of  two  red  stones  which  origi- 
nally marked  the  serpent's  eyes,  one  has  fallen  out;  on 
either  side  of  the  head  is  a  small  sapphire.  This  fine 
ring  is  in  the  British  Museum.^^ 

While  fifty  years  ago  in  Japan  the  women  of  the 
better  classes  did  not  favor  the  wearing  of  finger-rings, 
it  was  not  infrequently  the  case  that  kitchenmaids  and 
houseniaids  would  wear  silver  or  brass  rings.  They  are 
believed  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  example  of  Dutch 
women  in  Nagasaki.^"  At  the  present  day  American 
and  European  influence  is  very  slow  in  making  itself  felt 
in  the  direction  of  ring-wearing. 

Communicated  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Partridge,  through  Mr. 
Walter  C.  Wyman. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest:  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  336,  No.  2422, 

PI.  XXX. 

23  Communicated  by  Dr.  T.  Wada,  of  Tokio. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  83 


In  the  large  oval  bezel  of  a  fine  Syrian  ring  is  set  a 
paste  representing  a  topaz.  The  shoulders  expand  to 
form  the  bezel.  This  ring,  the  lower  half  of  which  has 
been  broken  off,  shows  an  exceptionally  fine  patina;  it 
was  of  large  size  and  must  have  been  a  striking  ornament 
on  the  wearer's  hand.  As  the  broad  oval  extends  across 
the  hoop,  not  at  right  angles  with  it,  it  must  have  inter- 
fered slightly  with  a  free  use  of  the  fingers  near  the  one 
on  which  the  ring  was  worn. 

In  the  Philippine  Islands  a  type  of  ring  that  is  made 
by  the  natives  has  a  number  of  spiral  twists,  from  five  to 
as  many  as  a  dozen  coils  appearing  in  these  rings.  The 
serpentine  form  is  accentuated  by  a  pattern  of  dots  or 
cross-marking,  with  sometimes  the  indication  of  a  conven- 
tional flower  design.  While  rather  clumsy  for  wear, 
these  rings  still  possess  a  certain  artistic  quality.  Fine 
examples  are  in  the  Ethnological  Department  of  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  York  City. 

The  ancient  city  of  refuge,  Machu  Picchu,  probably 
built  by  the  Incas  nearly  2000  years  ago  on  a  Peruvian 
mountain  top,  was  uncovered  by  the  National  Geo- 
graphic Society — Yale  University  Peruvian  Expedition 
of  1912,  of  which  Dr.  Hiram  Bingham  was  the  director. 
Among  the  many  interesting  relics  found  on  this  unique 
site  were  some  silver  rings,  one  being  of  the  twisted  type, 
with  the  ends  free,  so  as  to  suit  the  size  of  any  finger, 
while  another  has  been  welded  or  hammered  into  a  closed 
circlet.  While  it  is  impossible  to  date  these  rings  with 
any  approach  to  exactness,  they  are  undoubtedly  ex- 
amples of  the  art  of  native  Peruvian  silversmiths  prior 
to  the  Spanish  Conquest.^^ 

Rings  in  great  variety  are  worn  in  the  Congo  region 
Hiram  Bingham,  "  The  Story  of  Machu  Picchu,"  in  The 
National  Geographic  Magazine,  February,  1915,  pp.  172-217. 


84 


RINGS 


and  in  every  part  of  Bantu  and  Negro  Africa.  There 
are  heavy  rings  and  light  ones,  simple  hoops  and  spirals, 
and  they  are  worn  on  neck,  arm,  leg,  finger  and  toe.  They 
are  made  of  brass,  copper,  ivory,  iron,  elephant  foot-pad, 
and  several  other  materials.  At  Akkra,  and  in  Liberia, 
there  is  quite  a  manufacture  of  gold  rings,  and,  to  a  lesser 
extent,  of  silver  rings  also.^^ 

An  example  of  the  exceptionally  large  rings  some- 
times made  to  commemorate  special  occasions,  rather 
than  for  possible  wear,  is  one  donated  to  President  Pierce 
by  some  Californian  admirers  in  1852.  This  somewhat 
ambitious  production  scarcely  answers  the  requirements 
of  a  high  standard  of  art,  but  its  decoration  offers  a  great 
variety  of  appropriate  designs  illustrating  life  in  the  Far 
West  in  the  middle  of  the  past  century.  The  ring  is  of 
solid  gold  and  weighs  something  over  a  pound,  thus 
having  a  mere  metal  value  of  about  $250.  On  square 
surfaces  cut  on  the  circlet  are  a  series  of  designs  intended 
to  present  an  epitome  of  California's  early  history;  the 
native  animals  in  a  wild  state,  the  Indian  warrior  armed 
with  bow  and  arrow,  and  a  native  mountaineer;  then 
comes  a  Californian,  riding  a  horse  at  full  speed  and 
casting  his  lasso ;  to  him  succeeds  the  miner  with  pick  and 
shovel.  The  bezel  is  engraved  with  the  arms  of  Cali- 
fornia; it  is  hinged  and  when  opened  reveals  a  kind  of 
box  having  nine  compartments  divided  by  golden  bars. 
In  each  compartment  is  a  characteristic  specimen  of 
one  of  the  principal  ores  found  in  California.  Inside 
the  circlet  has  been  engraved  the  inscription:  "  Presented 
to  Franklin  Pierce,  the  Fourteenth  President  of  the 
United  States."       What  may  be  called  a  presidential 


2^  Communicated  by  Prof.  Frederick  Starr,  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago. 


RINGS  FROM  THE  ALEXANDER  W.  DRAKE  COLLECTION,  SOLD  AT  THE  AMERICAN  ART  GALLERIES 

IN  MARCH,  1913 

1,  silver  ring  of  East  Indian  workmanship.  2,  massive  Tartar  finger  ring  of  fine  gold.  3,  copy  in  silver  of  the  betrothsl 
ring  of  Martin  Luther,  a  gift  of  Richard  Watson  Gilder.  4,  finger  ring  with  precious  stone  setting  and  two  irregularly-shaped 
pearls.  Pendant  shows  the  bust  of  a  bearded  man  in  armor.  5,  gold  betrothal  ring.  Two  hands  holding  a  crowned  heart. 
Type  used  by  Galway  fisherman  from  the  Thirteenth  Century  and  called  a  "  Claddugh  Ring."  6,  open-work  gold  ring.  7,  old 
Chinese  gold  ring — oval  with  Chinese  characters,  on  either  side  a  chiseled  bat.  8,  Moorish  finger  ring  of  fine  gold.  Large  shield 
with  characteristic  ornamentation.  9,  gold  ring  with  intaglio  of  a  shepherd  and  goat  cut  on  a  light  sard.  10,  square  gold  ring, 
with  bead  groups  in  centre  and  at  corners,  the  central  part  in  raised  openwork.  11,  gold  ring.  French.  Heart-shaped  bezel  set 
with  Watteau  figure  in  repousse,  under  crystal,  and  surrounded  with  bits  of  green  and  white  crystal  between  small  flowers  of 
gold.    12,  silver  finger  ring.   Two  hoops  linked  together  by  true-lovers'  knot. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  85 


ring  is  that  depicted  in  the  effigy  of  Abigail  Power 
Fillmore,  wife  of  President  Fillmore  (1850-1853),  a 
quaint  wax  figure  in  the  Wives  of  Presidents  series, 
shown  in  the  United  States  National  Museum,  Wash- 
ington D.  C.  In  this  she  is  shown  wearing  a  handker- 
chief ring. 

An  unusually  large  ring  was  worn  by  the  well-known 
theatrical  manager,  Sheridan  Shook.  It  was  set  with 
an  amethyst  an  inch  long  by  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
broad  and  half  an  inch  deep,  and  weighing  two  and  a 
half  ounces.  The  letter  S  was  engraved  in  the  stone  and 
inlaid  with  small  diamonds.  This  immense  ring  with  its 
massive  gold  setting  can  hardly  be  termed  a  great  work 
of  art,  but  it  is  unique  in  its  way  and  was  greatly  valued 
by  its  owner,  who  only  ceased  to  wear  it  when  ill-health 
and  weakness  made  it  too  much  of  a  burden. 

The  extensive  and  remarkable  collections  of  the  late 
Alexander  Wilson  Drake,  which  were  disposed  of  at  the 
American  Art  Galleries  in  New  York,  March  10th  to 
17th,  1913,  comprised  a  fine  collection  of  finger  rings, 
illustrating  a  large  variety  of  forms  and  periods.  There 
were  in  all  nearly  800  examples,  set  and  unset.  There 
were  betrothal  rings,  memorials  rings,  gimmal  rings, 
puzzle  rings,  rings  of  Roman,  French,  German,  Italian, 
Spanish,  Russian,  Irish,  Scandinavian,  English  and 
American  workmanship,  and  many  Oriental  rings,  Sas- 
sanian,  Indian,  Japanese,  Chinese,  Hebrew,  Gypsy  and 
Moorish,  one  of  the  latter  being  a  gold  circlet  with 
the  twelve  signs  of  the  zodiac  engraved  in  high  relief 
around  it. 

2^  Charles  Edwards,  "  The  History  and  Poetry  of  Finger- 
Rings,"  New  York,  1885,  pp.  42-44 ;  quoting  from  Gleason's 
Pictorial  Newspaper,  December  25,  1852. 


86 


RINGS 


The  personality  of  the  collector  added  greatly  to  the 
charm  of  this  collection  for  all  who  had  known  him.  As 
art  editor  of  the  Century  Magazine,  and  in  a  thousand 
other  ways,  no  one  had  labored  more  enthusiastically  and 
successfully  in  the  cause  of  art  encouragement  and  art 
education,  and  his  death  constituted  a  real  loss  for  the 
progress  of  art  in  America. 

The  valuable  and  carefully  chosen  collection  of  gem 
stones  set  in  rings,  which  was  made  by  the  late  Sir  Arthur 
Herbert  Church  (1834-1915) ,  has  been  presented  by  his 
widow,  Lady  Church,  to  the  trustees  of  the  British 
Museum  and  is  shown  in  the  Natural  History  building.^'^ 

Corundum   12  Opal  (precious,  fire,  black 

Spinel    17        and  milk)   ,   10 

Chrysoberyl    8    Zircon    45 

Quartz   (amethyst,   tiger-         Phenacite    5 

eye,  chrysoprase)   ....  3     Enstalite    1 

Peridot    1    Moonstone    2 

Spodumene   1     Garnet    19 

Labradorite    1    Topaz   8 

Beryl    4    Cordierite   2 

Andalusite    1    Sphene    1 

Tourmaline    20    Turquoise   1 

Only  three  of  the  rings  are  set  with  more  than  a  single 
stone. 

Of  the  18  examples  in  the  British  Museum  collection 
of  the  interesting  class  of  rings  cut  out  of  a  single  stone. 
The  collection  comprises  169  specimens,  45  of  them 
zircons,  fully  illustrating  the  wide  range  of  color  to  be 
found  in  this  gem-stone;  two  of  them  are  of  a  beautiful 
sky-blue.  The  following  hst  gives  the  number  of  rings 
for  each  mineral  species: 

Communicated  by  Dr.  Leonard  J.  Spencer,  Curator  of 
the  Department  of  Mineralogy,  British  Museum  (Nat.  Hist.). 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


87 


several  belonged  to  the  collection  of  Sir  Hans  Sloane 
in  1753,  five  of  them  being  archers'  thumb-rings,  of 
agate,  carnelian,  mocha-stone,  or  jasper.  A  green 
jasper  ring  of  this  type  is  thus  entered  in  the  Sloane 
Manuscript  catalogue :  "  A  thumb  piece  for  defending  it 
from  being  hurt  by  the  bowstring,  from  Turkey." 

A  remarkable,  though  decidedly  eccentric  ring  of  the 
art  nouveau  style  of  Rene  Lalique  shows  in  the  long, 
irregularly  oval  bezel,  a  full-length,  nude  female  figure 
cut  in  very  high  relief  out  of  a  bluish  rock-crystal;  set 
at  one  side  about  the  middle  of  the  figure  is  a  round  pearl, 
apparently  of  immense  proportions  as  compared  with 
those  of  the  human  body.^^ 

Not  only  are  there  the  watch-bracelets  which  have 
been  so  extensively  worn  of  late  years,  but  minute  orna- 
mental watches  have  been  set  in  finger-rings,  where  they 
can  be  consulted  with  even  greater  ease  than  when  worn 
on  the  wrist.  The  watch-face  is  surrounded  by  a  border- 
ing of  small  jewels.  Apart  from  their  practical  value, 
the  "  watch-rings  "  are  pretty  and  dainty  objects  in 
themselves,  and  lend  a  new  element  of  variety  to  the 
long  list  of  ring  forms.^^ 

There  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Imperial  Kunst- 
gewerbe  Museum,  Vienna,  an  exceptionally  fine  example 
of  the  watch-ring,  made  by  Johann  Putz,  of  Augs- 
burg, in  the  seventeenth  century.  It  has  a  detachable 
cover,  cut  from  an  emerald,  on  which  the  Austrian 
double-eagle  has  been  engraved.  In  the  same  collec- 
tion are  two  sun-dial  rings;  one,  made  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  has  a  lid  figuring  a  hedge-hog,  studded 

^  Figured  in  Journal  der  Goldschmiede  Kunsty  30  Jahrg., 
No.  27,  Leipzig,  July  3,  1909,  p.  220. 

See  also  p.  353  of  the  present  work. 


88 


RINGS 


with  black  diamond  lozenges ;  the  other,  a  sixteenth  cen- 
tury ring,  bears  a  Greek  inscription  to  the  effect  that 
"  time  removes  all  things  and  brings  forgetfulness;  "  the 
sun-dial  is  on  the  inner  side  of  this  ring,  which  is  of  silver 
gilt.  There  is  also  a  gold  astrolabe  ring,  which  when 
closed  looks  like  an  ordinary  one ;  but  when  the  connected 
circles  are  opened  up,  the  ring  constitutes  a  veritable 
astrolabe.^^ 

A  gold  "  sphere-ring  "  in  the  British  Museum  collec- 
tion has  an  outer  hoop  in  two  parts,  working  like  a 
gimmal,  and  three  interior  hoops  which  are  almost  con- 
cealed when  the  ring  is  closed.  The  exterior  hoop  is 
chased;  on  the  inner  surfaces,  concealed  from  view  when 
the  ring  is  closed,  appears  in  sections  the  following  in- 
scription in  black  enamel :  Verbo  Dei  cell  firmati  sunt. 
Dixit  et  creata  sunt,  ipse  mandavit  et  creata  sunt.  ( The 
heavens  are  founded  in  the  word  of  God.  He  spoke  and 
they  were  created;  he  commanded  and  they  were  cre- 
ated.) After  "  firmati  sunt,"  is  the  date  1555.  The 
three  interior  hoops  bear,  enameled  in  black,  the  signs  of 
the  zodiac,  stars,  and  other  astral  figures.  This  ring  is  of 
German  workmanship.^^ 

In  the  collection  of  works  of  art  bequeathed  to  the 
British  Museum  in  1898  by  Baron  Ferdinand  Rothschild, 
and  designated  as  the  Waddesdon  Bequest,  there  are  sev- 
eral characteristic  rings.  Of  these  perhaps  the  most  nota- 
ble is  a  large  finger  ring  of  gold,  enameled  and  set  with 
jewels,  a  sixteenth  century  example  of  German  work- 
manship.  The  bezel  is  in  the  form  of  a  clasped  book ;  on 

Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 
2^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  Finger   Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and  Later  [British 
Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  243,  No.  1700,  Plate  xxiii. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  89 


the  cover  is  a  skull,  about  which  are  four  stones,  sapphire, 
ruby,  emerald,  and  diamond,  and  two  toads  and  snakes  in 
enamel.  When  the  book  cover  is  thrown  back  there 
appears  a  loose  plate  of  gold,  on  which  is  enameled  a 
recumbent  figure  with  skull  and  hour-glass ;  on  the  under 
side  of  the  cover  is  inscribed  in  black  enamel  (in  capi- 
tals) :   sivE  viviMUS^  sn^  morimur^  domini  sumus. 

COMMENDA  DOMINO  VIAM  TUAM^  ET  SPEEA  IN  EUM  ET 

IPSE  EACiET  (Whether  we  live  or  whether  we  die 
we  are  the  Lord's.  Commit  thy  way  unto  the 
Lord  and  trust  in  Him,  and  He  shall  bring  it  to 
pass).  This  combines  the  text,  Romans  xiv,  8  with 
Psalm  XXX vii,  5.  On  the  shoulders  of  the  ring  are  two 
groups  in  enamel,  the  Fall  and  the  Expulsion  from 
Eden.^2 

Sixteenth  century  ring-making,  so  rich  in  its  variety 
of  eccentric  types,  evolved  whistle-rings,  one  of  which 
is  in  the  British  Museum.  This  is  of  bronze  gilt;  the 
large  oval  bezel  is  engraved  with  a  shield  of  arms;  the 
hoop  is  slender  at  the  back.  The  shoulders  are  engraved 
with  strap-work,  one  of  them  having  a  tubular  whistle.^^ 

An  enameled  gold  ring  of  striking  and  original  de- 
sign is  owned  by  Dr.  Albert  Figdor,  Vienna.  The  bezel 
has  a  lid  on  which  is  enameled  a  head  wearing  a  half- 
mask;  the  eyes  are  of  small  lozenge-shaped  diamonds, 
and  there  is  a  bordering  of  seventeen  rubies.   On  lifting 

Sir  Charles  Hercules  Read,  "  The  Waddesdon  Bequest : 
Catalogue  of  the  Works  of  Art  Bequeathed  to  the  British 
Museum  by  Baron  Ferdinand  Rothschild,  M.P.,"  1898 ;  London, 
1902,  p.  94. 

33  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval,  and  Later  [British 
Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  87,  No.  571,  fig. 


90 


RINGS 


the  lid  there  appears  beneath  an  oval  surf  ace,  on  which 
is  enameled  a  heart  with  the  motto :  "  Pour  vous  seule  " 
( For  you  alone ) .  The  inner  side  of  the  lid  is  hollowed 
out  so  as  to  serve  as  a  receptacle  for  hair.  The  hoop,  of 
a  ribbon-like  form,  bears  the  significant  inscription: 
"  Sous  le  masque  la  verite  "  (Beneath  the  mask  is  truth) . 
This  ring,  which  belonged  to  the  famous  Viennese  trage- 
dienne, Charlotte  Wolter,  is  of  French  workmanship  and 
dates  from  about  1800.  A  whimsical  gold  ring  in  the 
collection  has  a  plain  hoop,  to  which  the  figure  of  a  little 
mouse,  wrought  in  gold,  is  looped  by  the  tail  so  that  it 
slips  around  the  circlet.  Another  gold  ring  of  singular 
design  is  one  having  a  diamond  in  a  silver  setting  about 
which  are  three  rubies  in  gold  settings ;  between  the  rubies 
are  three  playing  cards  in  enamel.  The  hoop  is  of  open- 
work with  two  playing  cards  and  two  ovals ;  a  section  of 
reddish  gold  that  has  been  added  to  it,  indicates  that  the 
ring  was  enlarged  at  some  time  from  its  original  size.^^ 

A  decoration  of  a  somewhat  unusual  type  appears  in 
a  ring  to  be  seen  in  the  Cleveland  Museum  of  Art,  the 
gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Homer  Wade.  It  has  for  its 
adornment  a  minute  landscape  painting,  in  place  of  a 
precious  stone  or  seal  decoration.^  ^  This  might  be  a 
suggestion  to  those  who  may  wish  to  bear  with  them  a 
pretty  reminder  of  their  favorite  country  home,  or  else 
of  some  scene  that  is  associated  with  exceptionally 
happy  memories. 

A  symbolic  ring  recently  designed  and  executed  in 
New  York  artfully  combines  a  number  of  significant 

Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna 

The  Cleveland  Museum  of  Art,  Catalogue  of  the  Inaugural 

Exhibition,  June  6  to  September  20,  1916,  Cleveland,  1916, 

p.  68,  No.  109. 


GOLD  RING,  RICHLY  ENAMELED 
The  hoop  haa  white,  red  and  black  enameling,  and  is  studded  with  little  emeralds  and  rubies. 
The  high  bezel  is  set  with  au  emerald  and  with  a  small  ruby  on  each  of  the  four  sides.  Second  half 
of  Sixteenth  Century 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


GOLD  RING,  WITH  HEAD  IN  FORM  OF  A  ROSE  KNOT 
The  setting  consists  of  a  diamond  in  a  silver  bezel,  and  three  rubies  in  gold  bezels;  between  the 
rubies  are  three  enameled  playing  cards.  The  hoop  is  of  openwork  interspersed  with  two  playing 
cards  and  two  ovals  in  enamel;  a  section  of  reddish  gold  indicates  an  enlargement  of  this  ring. 
Eighteenth  Century 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


FORMS  OF  KINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


91 


elements,  each  of  which  has  a  distinct  bearing  upon  the 
history,  the  fortunes,  or  the  taste  of  the  prospective 
wearer.  At  the  head  of  the  ring  is  set  his  birth-stone, 
the  sard,  about  which  are  engraved  his  family  crest  and 
motto,  and  the  initials  of  his  name.  On  the  shank  are 
two  relief  representations,  one  of  a  lion,  "  the  king  of 
beasts,"  typifying  royal  descent,  the  other  showing  the 
wearer's  patron  saint,  Michael ;  at  the  left  of  this  figure 
is  set  an  emerald  as  the  talismanic  gem.  Surmounting 
the  head  of  the  ring  are  a  series  of  light  gothic  arches, 
indicating  the  religious  character  of  this  jewel.  On  the 
smooth  inner  side  of  the  head  is  engraved  a  mystic  design, 
consisting  of  a  double  triangle,  interlaced  to  form  a  six- 
pointed  star,  and  enclosed  by  a  circle ;  within  the  triangles 
appears  in  blue  emerald  the  "  mystic  number  "15,  that 
of  the  wearer,  blue  being  his  astral  color;  the  triangles 
symbolize  the  inseparability  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and 
the  circle  typifies  Eternity,  this  word  being  engraved 
above,  as  well  as  the  date  of  the  wearer's  birth,  and  a 
legend  commemorating  the  gift  of  the  ring.  It  is  made 
of  fine  gold,  so  that  it  may  the  better  denote  absolute 
purity. 

In  one  type  of  serpent  ring,  one  of  the  ends  is  in- 
serted loose  into  the  mouth  of  the  serpent's  head  ter- 
minating the  other  end,  so  that  by  a  little  careful  bending, 
the  trifling  difference  in  the  diameter  of  the  hoop  neces- 
sary to  adjust  it  perfectly  to  a  finger  can  be  easily 
attained.  This  form  already  appears  among  ancient 
rings.^^ 

Two  finely  wrought  serpent  rings  are  shown  on 

2^  Frederick  William  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist," 
London,  n.  d.,  p.  77,  fig.  88.  A  later  edition  of  this  book,  dated 
1871,  bears  the  title,  "  Rambles  of  an  Archaeologist." 


92 


EINGS 


thePlate.^^^  In  one  of  these  (No.  2),  with  three  coils, 
the  erect  head  of  the  snake  with  distended  jaws  is  vividly 
portrayed,  making  the  ring  a  work  of  art  indeed,  but 
arousing  an  instinctive  repulsion  in  the  beholder.  The 
other  serpent  ring  constitutes  a  simple  circlet,  the  head 
of  the  snake  overlapping  the  tail.  As  an  example  of 
artistic  workmanship  it  fully  equals  the  larger  ring,  and 
may  be  considered  better  adapted  for  the  adornment  of 
the  hand,  since  the  serpent  nature  is  not  so  aggressively 
presented. 

Rings  of  a  quite  unique  type,  that  owes  its  origin  to 
the  great  war  and  to  French  skill  and  taste  in  adapting 
the  most  unpromising  means  to  an  artistic  end,  are  those 
made  by  French  soldiers  out  of  aluminum  fuses  taken 
from  the  bombs  which  their  German  foes  have  so  liberally 
rained  upon  them.  At  the  outset  the  disks  were  first 
worked  with  scissors  to  make  rude  rings  for  men's  big 
fingers.  Later  on  the  well-furnished  tool-box  of  the 
machine-gun  squad  was  called  into  requisition.  This 
early  primitive  type  was  soon  abandoned,  and  in  order 
to  make  rings  of  the  proper  dimensions  the  metal  from 
the  German  shells  was  fused  and  run  into  ingots;  the 
crucible  was  frequently  one  of  the  new  iron  helmets, 
which  was  set  on  a  wood  fire  that  was  kept  going  by  a 
bellows  improvised  from  a  bayonet  sheath.  However, 
the  soldiers  finally  became  so  reckless  in  their  search 
for  material  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  put  a  stop 
to  this,  after  several  had  been  shot  by  the  enemy. 

The  first  models  for  the  rings  were  made  of  wood  or 
soft  limestone.  At  a  more  advanced  stage,  round  bars 
were  made,  which  were  cut  into  sections  by  means  of  the 
jagged  edge  of  an  old  trench-spade.   The  smoothing  off 

36a  Yrom  the  collection  of  W.  Gedney  Beatty,  New  York 
City. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  93 


was  done  with  a  knife,  and  for  making  the  ring  apertures 
a  pick  was  commonly  used.  They  were  then  polished 
with  a  piece  of  hard  wood,  moistened  from  time  to  time 
to  soften  it. 

This  still  primitive  form  failed  to  satisfy  the  amateur 
ring-makers,  and  soon  some  of  them  began  to  engrave 
their  rings  with  the  point  of  a  pocket-knife,  and  others, 
more  ambitious,  encrusted  them  with  small  pieces  of 
copper,  either  mortised  or  rivetted  in.  Although  many 
of  the  rings  were  undoubtedly  the  work  of  entirely  un- 
practiced  hands,  of  course  in  any  of  the  great  modern 
national  armies  men  of  all  trades  and  professions  are 
represented,  and  hence  the  really  fine  examples  of  these 
war-time  rings  have  been  the  work  of  those  familiar  with 
the  jewellers'  art.  So  eagerly  did  some  of  the  soldiers 
pursue  this  avocation,  that  when  their  aluminum  threat- 
ened to  give  out,  they  would  look  impatiently  for  a  bom- 
bardment to  get  a  new  supply.^  ^ 

The  "  add-a-link  "  ring  is  made  up  of  a  series  of 
small  links  which  all  snap  one  in  the  other.  The  pur- 
chaser buys  one  with  the  number  of  links  requisite  to  fit 
the  finger  exactly.  If  he  wishes  to  have  a  stone  in  it  he 
buys  a  link  with  a  stone  inserted  therein.  A  plain  link  is 
snapped  out  of  the  ring  and  the  link  with  the  stone  is 
snapped  in.  Sometimes  these  rings  are  made  up  of  a 
variety  of  stones  and  then  again  with  only  one  stone.  It 
is  possible  in  this  way  for  the  purchaser  to  obtain,  at  a 
moderate  cost,  a  variety  of  settings,  changeable  at  will. 
Moreover,  a  ring  of  this  type  can  be  enlarged  as  the 
finger  grows  larger. 

Among  a  number  of  ring- types  designed  for  the 
practical  convenience  of  the  owner  and  only  worn  tem- 

"  Les  bagues  des  tranchees,"  L' Illustration,  July  3,  1915, 
p.  W,  with  cuts  showing  soldiers  at  work  and  specimens  of 
their  rings. 


94 


RINGS 


porarily  to  serve  a  particular  purpose,  we  may  note  the 
cigarette  ring,  provided  with  a  straight  sliding  rod  the 
end  of  which  clasps  the  middle  of  a  cigarette,  so  that 
when  a  whiff  has  been  taken,  the  hand  may  be  freely 
used  without  laying  aside  or  dropping  the  cigarette. 
Another  smokers'  ring  is  one  provided  with  a  projection 
for  stopping  a  pipe,  rendering  it  possible  for  the  ardent 
pipe-smoker  to  keep  his  pipe-bowl  well  filled  and  well 
packed  without  soiling  the  tips  of  his  fingers.  These 
pipe-stopping  rings  are  sometimes  of  rich  materials,  in 
one  instance  the  stopper  was  of  a  beautiful  white  zircon, 
finely  contrasting  with  the  rich  yellow  gold  of  the  ring 
proper.  Rings  of  this  kind  were  very  much  in  vogue  in 
the  eighteenth  century,  and  one  appears  on  the  hand  of 
a  gentleman  in  one  of  Hogarth's  engravings. 

The  name  "  swivel  ring  "  is  applied  when  the  head 
of  the  ring  is  loose,  and  is  loosely  secured  by  a  bar  to  the 
band  or  circlet,  so  that  the  ring  will  swing  around.  This 
type  is  frequently  used  in  scarab  rings,  or  where  there 
is  a  double  intaglio,  a  double  miniature,  or  other  double 
object,  or  where  the  ring  is  what  is  known  as  a  concealed 
seal  ring,  the  outside  part  being  a  gold  ornament  or  a 
stone. 

One  of  the  "  surprise  rings  "  in  which  a  hinged  outer 
section  of  the  hoop  can  be  made  to  detach  itself,  on  a 
spring  being  pressed,  so  that  a  concealed  surface  appears, 
shows  on  its  hidden  surface  a  number  of  magical  signs 
and  the  names  of  the  angels  or  spirits  Ashmodel,  Nachiel, 
Zamiel,  and  others.  Wearing  a  ring  of  this  kind,  the 
adept  could  reveal  his  belief  in  the  magic  arts  to  others 
of  his  sect  or  fraternity,  thus  bearing  about  with  him  a 
secret  passport  admitting  him  to  their  confidence.^^ 

^8  Frederick  William  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist," 
London,  1880,  p.  141,  fig.  171. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  95 


A  pretty  way  of  utilizing  old  and  cherished  rings  for 
the  production  of  an  attractive  ornament  is  to  link  them 
together  so  as  to  form  a  chatelaine.  By  this  means  a 
large  number  of  family  memorial  rings,  either  those  of 
more  or  less  remote  ancestors  or  of  persons  whom  the 
owner  has  known  and  loved,  may  be  combined  in  a  single 
beautiful  chain.  This  can  be  done  in  several  ways.  After 
opening  the  rings  at  the  joint,  they  are  strung  one  below 
the  other,  the  monotony  of  the  effect  being  varied  by 
one  or  more  double  rings,  the  terminal  of  the  chain  being 
a  seal-ring  with  the  bezel  downward.  Another  method 
is  to  have  a  series  of  double  rings,  each  one  of  which  is 
joined  to  the  member  of  the  pair  immediately  below,  by 
means  of  a  small  ring  made  for  this  purpose ;  here  again 
the  terminal  will  be  either  a  seal-ring,  or  one  set  with  a 
large  precious  stone.  Such  ornaments  are  not  only  things 
of  beauty  in  themselves,  but  unique  in  the  memories  they 
serve  to  perpetuate  in  the  hearts  of  the  wearers. 

THE  MATERIALS  OF  RINGS 

Ring  whittling  or  carving  is  a  favorite  occupation  of 
sailors  and  young  boys.  Many  interesting  rings  have 
been  carved  by  them  out  of  peach  pits,  flexible  ivory, 
cocoanut  shells,  gutta  percha,  walrus  ivory,  boxwood, 
whale's  teeth  and  many  other  substances.  These  are  fre- 
quently incised  with  the  initials  of  the  wearer  or  the  one 
to  whom  the  ring  is  to  be  presented.  Then  again,  pins  are 
cut  off  and  the  upper  part  driven  into  the  hoop,  in  such  a 
way  that  the  head  of  the  pin  appears  as  a  beading;  often 
metallic  points  are  added.  Other  rings  are  carved  with 
hearts,  folded  hands  and  other  symbols  of  sentiment. 

As  a  ring  is  necessary  in  marriage  it  has  occasionally 
happened  when  no  precious  metal  was  available  in  hasty 


96 


RINGS 


marriages,  or  out  of  economy,  that  a  curtain  ring,  taken 
from  the  church  curtain,  has  been  used. 

Memory  rings,  of  threads  wound  around  the  finger, 
have  often  been  employed.  Sometimes  these  are  made 
of  cord  or  yam,  and  each  ring  is  supposed  to  represent 
one  object  to  be  remembered,  and  to  be  purchased,  or 
dehvered  at  the  final  place  of  destination.  The  writer 
distinctly  remembers  seeing  an  old  man  nearly  90  years 
of  age,  wearing  a  waistcoat  older  than  himself,  and  with 
at  least  twenty  strings  of  different  colors  and  variety  on 
his  fingers.  He  trudged  a  distance  of  six  miles  to  the 
nearest  village  and  had  been  instructed  not  to  return 
until  he  had  purchased  or  obtained  the  object  meant  by 
each  string.  This  memorizing  by  cords  or  strands  has 
been  practised  by  many  primitive  peoples  who  had  not 
developed  any  system  of  writing,  a  well-known  instance 
being  the  wampum  records  of  some  of  our  North 
American  Indian  tribes. 

To  the  famous  episode  of  the  descent  of  the  life- 
goddess  Ishtar  to  the  infernal  regions,  forming  part  of 
the  great  Babylonian  poem  known  as  the  "  Gilgamesh 
Epic,"  have  been  appended  a  few  lines  suggesting  an 
idea  distantly  resembling  that  in  the  Greek  myth  of 
Orpheus  and  Eurydice.  A  mourner  who  seeks  to  re- 
lease a  loved  one  from  the  Realm  of  Death,  is  told  to 
address  himself  to  Tammuz  ( =  Adonis ) .  A  f  estival  gar- 
ment is  to  be  put  on  the  god's  statue  to  induce  him  "  to 
play  on  the  flute  of  lapis-lazuli,"  with  a  ring  of  porphyry. 
This  divine  music  was  believed  to  arouse  the  dead  and 
call  them  to  inhale  the  fragrance  of  the  incense  offering 
prepared  for  them.^^    The  "  porphyry  ring  "  for  play- 

Morris  Jastrow,  Jr.,  "  The  Civilization  of  Babylonia  and 
Assyria,"  Philadelphia  and  London,  1915,  pp.  459,  460. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  97 


ing  the  musical  instrument  might  seem  to  indicate 
that  it  was  some  form  of  lyre,  on  which  the  ring  could 
be  used  as  a  kind  of  plectrum,  rather  than  a  flute  or 
other  wind-instrument. 

Rings  made  entirely  of  a  precious  stone  substance 
were  not  uncommon  in  the  time  of  Rameses  III  (1202- 
1170  B.C.)  and  later  Egyptian  sovereigns,  but  there  is  no 
evidence  of  their  having  been  made  at  a  more  remote 
period.  The  prejudice  against  burying  rings  with  the 
dead  does  not  seem  to  have  affected  the  Egyptians,  for 
in  a  number  of  cases  rings  have  been  found  on  the  fingers 
of  mummies.^ ^ 

The  sardonyx  was  a  favorite  stone  with  the  Romans 
of  the  Imperial  Age,  as  is  proved  by  the  frequent 
allusions  to  it  by  the  poets  of  this  time.  Of  a  celebrated 
player  on  the  lyre,  Juvenal  (50-130  a.d.)  says  that  as  his 
hand  passed  over  the  strings  the  whole  instrument  was 
lighted  up  by  the  sheen  of  his  many  sardonyx  rings.** 
Such  a  ring  was  regarded  as  a  most  appropriate  birth- 
day gift.*^  Another  passage  relates  that  the  advocate 
Paulus,  in  order  to  render  his  address  before  the  court 
more  impressive,  wore  upon  his  hand  a  fine  onyx  ring 
which  he  had  borrowed  from  a  friend  especially  for  this 
occasion.*^  Indeed,  so  highly  was  the  stone  prized  that 
it  was  called  the  first  of  gems  {gemma  princeps  sar- 
donychus)  and  ivory  caskets  were  regarded  as  fit  recep- 
tacles for  sardonyxes.*^    The  value  of  rings  set  with 

Sir  J.  Gardner  Wilkinson,  "  Manners  and  Customs  of 
the  Ancient  Egyptians,"  revised  by  Samuel  Birch,  New  York, 
1879,  vol.  ii,  p.  340,  note  by  Birch. 
Juvenal,  sat.  vi,  1,  382. 
Persius,  sat.  i,  1, 16. 
4«  Juvenal,  sat.  vii,  11,  143,  144. 
*7  Idem,  sat.  xiii,  11,  138,  139. 
7 


98 


RINGS 


them  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  Hadrian's  ( 7 6-138  a.d.  ) 
time,  they  were  expressly  associated  with  the  gems  of 
greatest  value,  such  being  strictly  differentiated  from 
those  worth  but  four  gold  pieces  each.^^ 

Several  rings  of  the  Later  Roman  period  in  the 
British  Museum  are  set  with  small  diamonds.  Of  these 
the  following  are  believed  to  represent  original  settings 

No.  779.  Plain  solid  hoop  with  sides  cut  flat.  It  is  set  with 
a  small  pointed  diamond.    Castellani  Coll.,  1872. 

No.  785.  Thin  rounded  hoop,  slightly  expanding  upwards. 
Pointed  diamond  in  raised  oblong  setting.  From  Tartus. 
Franks  Bequest,  1897. 

No.  787.  Angular  hoop,  projecting  sharply  below  the 
shoulders,  which  are  in  the  form  of  hollow  leaves  within  a  tri- 
angular frame.  The  bezel  is  square  and  contains  an  octahedral 
diamond ;  the  sides  are  open  and  form  a  kind  of  wave  pattern. 
Castellani  Coll.,  1872.    3rd  century,  a.d. 

No.  788.  Type  akin  to  last.  On  either  shoulder  is  an 
openwork  triangle.  The  bezel  is  square  and  contains  an  octa- 
hedral diamond;  on  either  side  of  the  bezel  is  a  small  open- 
work triangle. 

No.  789.  Type  akin  to  last.  The  lower  part  of  the  hoop 
has  a  groove  running  along  its  middle ;  either  shoulder  is  cut 
away  in  a  slight  curve.  The  bezel  is  square,  with  a  triangular 
space  left  open  in  each  side  and  with  a  round  opening  below.  It 
contains  a  diamond  of  octahedral  form.    Franks  Bequest,  1897. 

No.  790.  Type  akin  to  last.  The  hoop  is  rounded  without ; 
the  curved  excision  of  the  shoulders  is  more  pronounced.  Two 
double  pyramid-shaped  (octahedral)  diamonds  are  set  in  the 
bezel.   A  triangle  is  cut  out  of  either  shoulder,  and  two  smaller 

Ulpian,  L.,  6  sqq.,  De  bon.  damnat. 

F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities,  British 
Museum,"  London,  1907,  pp.  127-129,  pi.  xx,  778,  785,  790. 
and  text  figures  106,  107  on  p.  129. 


PORTRAIT  OF  AN  UNKNOWN  MAN  IN  THE  COSTUME  OF  THE  FIFTEENTH 

CENTURY,  BY  ANTONIO  DEL  POLLAIOLO 
He  holds  between  the  thumb  and  index  of  his  left  hand  a  ring  set  with  a  naturally  pointed 
diamond  crystal 
Galleria  Corsini,  Florence 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  VENETIAN  SENATOR,  BY  A.  DA  SOLARIO 

Seal  ring  on  thumb  of  left  hand 
National  Gallery,  London 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  99 


triangles  on  either  side  of  the  bezel.  Underneath  the  stone  are 
two  lozenge-shaped  openings.    Franks  Bequest,  1897. 

In  all  these  cases  the  diamond  is  a  small  natural 
crystal  of  octahedral  form  suggesting  the  "  diamond,  a 
point  of  a  stone,"  of  which  the  astronomer  Manilius 
wrote  in  the  first  century,  and,  perhaps,  the  diamond  in 
Berenice's  ring  mentioned  in  the  same  period  by  the 
satirist  Juvenal.  Another  ring  in  the  British  Museum, 
however,  is  set  with  two  facetted  diamonds,  as  well  as 
with  two  other  stones  (No.  778  of  catalogue,  Plate  xx, 
same  number).  Here  the  diamonds  have  unquestion- 
ably been  set  at  a  time  long  posterior  to  the  making  of 
the  ring,  which  is  believed  to  belong,  approximately, 
to  the  same  period  as  the  others  we  have  listed.  The 
diamonds  were  probably  inserted  to  replace  two  of  the 
original  stones  that  had  fallen  out  of  their  settings. 

Sir  Charles  Hercules  Read  pronounces  the  instances 
of  diamond  settings  in  ancient  rings  to  be  exceeding  rare. 
He  states  that  the  examples  above  noted  are  the  only 
ones  of  which  he  knows,  and  considers  that  they  belong  to 
the  third  or  fourth  century  of  our  era.^^ 

The  famous  Marlborough  collection  of  gems  includes 
a  thumb  ring  entirely  of  sapphire.  To  give  this  stone 
ring  the  necessary  resisting  power,  it  has  been  lined  with 
a  thick  hoop  of  gold.  The  engraving  it  bears,  a  head  of 
the  Elder  Faustina,  the  wife  of  Antoninus  Pius  (86-161 
A.D. ) ,  is  believed  to  replace  an  original  Arabic  inscription 
that  fitted  this  ring  for  use  as  a  seal.^^ 

Rings  entirely  of  precious-stone  material,  or  holo- 
lith  "  rings,  have  been  found  at  Mycense,  one  of  jasper 

From  a  personal  letter  to  the  writer,  dated  February  21, 

1916. 

C.  W.  King,  "Antique  Gems  and  Rings,"  London,  187S, 
p.  373. 


100 


RINGS 


and  another  of  rock-crystal,  and  a  carnelian  ring  was  dis- 
covered in  a  tomb  in  southern  Russia.  Each  of  these 
bears  an  engraved  design.  Two  carnelian  rings  are  in 
the  British  Museum. 

Chalcedony  rings,  that  is,  rings  entirely  formed  of 
this  stone,  while  quite  rare,  are  represented  by  a  few 
specimens.  We  describe  elsewhere  the  so-called  be- 
trothal ring  of  the  Virgin  at  Perugia,^^  and  the  British 
Museum  has  a  large  example  of  a  chalcedony  ring,  with 
the  hoop  rounded  on  the  outer  side,  and  a  raised  bezel 
that  has  been  roughly  cut  so  as  to  indicate  a  human  head, 
some  scratches  marking  the  hair.  The  work  is  late 
Roman  and  the  inscription  shows  that  it  was  made  for 
some  adherent  of  the  Gnostic  sect.^^ 

A  large  ring,  entirely  of  rock  crystal,  shows  on  the 
oval  flattened  surface  of  the  upper  part  a  curious  com- 
bination of  the  "  Tau  Cross,"  with  superposed 
"  chrisma,"  and  with  a  serpent  twined  about  it,  recalling 
the  brazen  serpent  of  Moses,  the  view  of  which  restored 
health  to  the  diseased;  the  Greek  letters,  alpha  and 
omega,  "  the  beginning  and  the  end,"  complete  this  in- 
terlacing of  Old  and  New  Testament  emblems;  the 
doves  facing  the  cross  are  the  faithful  to  whom  the  Cross 
of  Christ  brings  salvation.^^  Another  entire  crystal  ring 
bears  on  its  flat  face  a  design  of  somewhat  similar  im- 
port, with,  however,  the  curious  difference  that  the  lower 

See  pp.  222,  258-261  of  present  work,  and  plate  opposite 
p.  316  of  the  writer's,  "  The  Curious  Lore  of  Precious  Stones," 
Philadelphia  and  London,  1913. 

^3  F.  H.  Marshall,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities, 
British  Museum,  London,  1907,  p.  110,  No.  654,  pi.  xvii. 

54  Bosio,  "  Roma  Sotteranea,"  Rom^,  1672,  vol.  i,  p.  211. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  101 


end  of  the  cross  is  supported  on  a  little  Cupid,  on  either 
side  of  which  figure  is  a  dove.^^ 

The  jewels  of  the  Mogul  emperors  were  the  most 
splendid  in  the  world,  but  few  have  survived  intact  to 
our  time,  as  nearly  all  were  broken  up  by  the  spoilers 
of  the  Mogul  Empire.  However,  one  of  the  few  that 
have  been  preserved  for  us  is  a  most  interesting  illus- 
tration of  the  type  of  ring  favored  in  that  age  and  region. 
This  is  one  made  for  Jehangir  Shah,  the  father  of  Shah 
Jehan,  for  whom  was  erected  the  wonderful  Taj  Mahal 
at  Agra,  a  memorial  of  his  dearly  beloved  wife,  Mumtaz 
Mahal,  who  died  in  1629.  It  is  about  1J4  inches  in 
diameter  and  is  cut  out  of  a  solid  emerald  of  exceptional 
purity  and  beauty  of  color ;  from  the  ring  proper  depend 
two  fine  emerald  drops,  while  set  in  two  collets  are  rose 
diamonds  with  ruby  bordering.  Jehangir's  name  is  en- 
graved on  the  hoop.  This  ring  was  probably  carried  off 
by  Nadir  Shah  at  the  looting  of  Delhi  in  1739,  and  after 
remaining  in  the  Persian  treasury  for  a  few  years  found 
its  way,  with  other  gems  and  jewels  plundered  from  the 
Moguls,  into  the  hands  of  the  Afghan  chiefs.  One  of 
these,  the  unfortunate  Shah  Shu j  ah,  in  the  course  of  his 
wanderings  after  he  had  been  blinded  and  deprived  of 
his  throne  by  a  brother,  finally  sought  and  found  refuge 
under  the  protection  of  the  British  East  India  Company, 
and  as  a  token  of  gratitude,  or  as  a  slight  quid  pro  quo, 
he  gave  this  historic  ring  to  the  company.  After  having 
been  acquired  by  Lord  Auckland,  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Hon.  Miss  Eden.  This  is  probably  the 
very  finest  specimen  of  the  rare  type  of  hololith  rings, 

s^Gorlsei,  "  Dactyliotheca,"  vol.  i,  p.  211;  cited  in 

"  Dictionnaire  d'Archeologie  Chretienne  et  de  Liturgie,"  Paris, 
1907,  vol.  ii,  col.  2194,  figures. 


102 


RINGS 


or  rings  entirely  consisting  of  a  single  precious-stone 
material.^^ 

For  those  who  believed  in  the  magic  virtues  of 
precious  stones,  a  ring  of  this  kind  would  possess  much 
greater  efficacy  than  would  a  metal  ring  set  with  the 
stone,  as  in  the  former  case  the  substance  when  worn 
would  always  be  in  direct  contact  with  the  skin  of  the 
wearer.  Jehangir  also  owned  an  entire  ruby  ring  given 
him  by  Shaikh  Farid-i-Bukhari,  and  valued  at  25,000 
rupees  (about  $12,500) .  In  modern  times,  the  Burmese 
ambassador  to  the  court  of  Persia  is  said  to  have  brought 
with  him,  as  a  gift  to  the  Shah,  a  ring  cut  out  of  a  solid 
ruby  of  the  finest  color.^^ 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  archers'  rings  was  en- 
graved out  of  a  single  piece  of  emerald.  It  is  an  example 
of  the  type  which  is  narrow  at  one  end,  tapering  to  a 
broad  edge  at  the  other.  It  is  of  a  beautiful  green  emer- 
ald and  very  handsomely  engraved.  This  ring  was  prob- 
ably made  for  the  Mogul  Emperor  Shah  Jehan,  about 
1650.  It  was  part  of  Nadir  Shah's  share  of  the  booty 
from  the  sack  of  Delhi  in  1739,  and  this  Persian  adven- 
turer had  the  following  inscription  engraved  upon  it  in 
Persian  characters :  "  For  a  bow  for  the  King  of  Kings, 
Nadir,  Lord  of  the  Conjunction,  at  the  subjugation  of 
India,  from  the  Jewel-house  [at  Delhi]  it  was  selected 
1152  [1739  A.D.]".  The  luckless  Shah  Shuja,  gave  it  to 
Runjit  Singh,  the  Lion  of  the  Panjab,  in  1813,  when  he 

King,  "  Natural  History  of  Precious  Stones,"  London, 
1870,  p.  297. 

^'^  Bloohmann,  "Ain-i-Akbari,"  Calcutta,  1871,  p.  414  and 
Wills,  "  The  Land  of  the  Lion  and  the  Sun,"  London,  1883, 
p.  376;  cited  in  Ball,  "A  Description  of  Two  Large  Spinel 
Rubies,"  Dublin,  1894,  p.  390;  reprint  from  Proc.  of  the  Roy. 
Ir.  Soc,  3d  ser.,  vol.  iii,  No.  2. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  103 


took  refuge  at  the  latter's  court  at  Lahore.  At  the  end 
of  the  second  Sikh  war  in  1849  it  was  found  with  the 
regaha  in  the  royal  treasury  of  Lahore.  This  splendid 
ring  once  owned  by  Lord  Dalhousie,  was  sold  at  Edin- 
burgh in  1898;  it  came  into  the  possession  of  W.  H. 
Broun,  Esq.,  and  is  now  one  of  the  gems  of  a  private 
collection  in  Philadelphia.^^ 

In  past  times  the  Shahs  of  Persia  have  passed  ordi- 
nances restricting  the  exportation  of  turquoise.  Regard- 
ing this  precious  stone  as  peculiarly  Persian  and  for 
the  furthering  of  Persian  goldsmiths,  it  was  enacted  that 
no  unset  turquoises  should  be  exported;  as  a  rule  the 
settings  were  in  rings,  these  being  easily  transported, 
since  a  great  number  of  them  could  be  strung  together. 
Sometimes  a  prospective  purchaser  was  permitted  to  test 
the  quality  of  a  string  of  turquoise  rings  by  wearing  a 
bunch  of  them  for  a  while  under  his  arm-pit,  to  see 
whether  the  stones  would  change  color.  Although  some 
failed  to  endure  this  rather  severe  test,  many  withstood 
it  successfully. 

The  entire  circlet  of  certain  of  the  finest  turquoise 
rings  was  of  pierced  gold  enriched  with  rose  diamonds; 
other,  less  valuable  turquoises  have  been  set  in  fine  gold 
rings,  carved  or  plain,  and  those  of  the  next  lower  value, 
in  ornamented  silver.  The  cheaper  sort  ranged  in  price 
all  the  way  from  one  cent  to  a  few  dollars,  and  were 
often  set  in  rings  made  of  tin,  or  of  tinned  iron,  the  hoop 
costing  but  two  cents.    The  stones  were  always  cut 

T.  H.  Hendley,  "  Indian  Jewellery,"  Journal  of  Indian 
Art  and  Industry,  vol.  xii,  1907-1909,  p.  166;  pi.  141.  Gul- 
Begum,  "  The  History  of  Humayun,"  translated  by  Annette 
S.  Eeveridge,  London,  1902,  p.  121,  note;  Orient  Trans.  Fund, 
n.  s.,  vol.  i. 


104 


RINGS 


irregularly  en  cahochon,  the  form  being  frequently  quite 
pleasing ;  if  the  turquoise  were  thin  the  back  was  coated 
with  pitch  to  bring  out  the  color,  and  on  the  surface  was 
engraved  some  short  formula  from  the  Koran,  such  as 
"Allah  be  praised!  "  or  "Allah  is  great!  "  Occasionally 
the  Shah's  portrait  was  the  subject. 

In  the  Roman  world  entire  rings  of  yellow  amber 
were  sometimes  formed,  and  in  a  few  instances  figures 
or  heads  have  been  engraved  in  relief  upon  the  chaton. 
Their  execution  need  not  have  presented  any  greater 
difficulty  than  did  the  carving  of  the  many  small  amber 
figures  which  have  come  down  to  us  from  ancient  times. 
A  carved  amber  ring  in  the  Franks  Bequest  of  the  British 
Museum  is  beautifully  formed  with  full-relief  figures  of 
Venus  and  of  Cupid  on  either  side.  It  is  cut  out  of  a 
single  piece  of  amber,  and  is  considered  to  be  the  finest 
example  extant  of  Roman  carving  in  that  material,^^  but 
unfortunately  is  considerably  damaged. 

Pliny  declares  that  in  his  time  amber  ornaments  were 
almost  exclusively  for  women's  wear ;  indeed,  a  few  years 
later,  Artemidorus,  in  his  "  Oneirocritica,"  an  interpreta- 
tion of  dreams,  after  saying  that  amber  and  ivory  rings 
were  only  appropriate  for  women,  proceeds  to  assert 
that  this  was  true  of  all  kinds  of  rings.^^  There  are  but 
a  very  few  ivory  rings  in  the  British  Museum,  although 
the  collection  includes  several  bone  rings,  probably  for 
wear  on  the  thumb.    The  relief-carving  of  masks  has 

Hodder  M.  Westropp,  "A  Manual  of  Precious  Stones 
and  Antique  Gems,"  London,  1874,  p.  120.  No.  1627  of 
British  Museum  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek,  Etrus- 
can and  Roman,  in  the  Dept.  of  Antiquities,  by  F.  H.  Marshall, 
London,  1907. 

Oneirocritica,  lib.  ii,  cap.  5. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  105 


been  thought  to  make  it  hkely  that  they  were  actors' 
rings.^^ 

Not  only  have  entire  emerald  and  ruby  rings  been 
formed,  but  even  the  intractable  diamond  has  lately  been 
cut  in  this  form.  An  entire  diamond  ring,  the  work  of 
the  diamond-cutter  Antoine,  of  Antwerp,  was  shown  in 
the  exposition  held  in  Antwerp  in  1894.^^  Another  such 
ring  has  since  been  executed  by  Bart  Brouwer  of 
Amsterdam.  In  this  latter  ring  the  facets  are  all 
triangular. 

The  unrivalled  Heber  R.  Bishop  Collection  of  Jades, 
now  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York 
City,  contains  an  ancient  thumb-ring  {pan  chih) ,  entirely 
of  jade,  from  the  time  of  the  Han  Dynasty  (206  b.c- 
220  A.D.).  Its  major  and  minor  diameters  are  1.16 
inches  and  1.03  inches,  respectively,  and  it  weighs  .809 
ounce.  The  material  is  the  nephrite  variety  of  jade,  the 
color  being  clouded  gray  with  very  dark  brown  veinings. 
The  rings  of  this  type  were  worn  on  the  thumb  of  the 
left  hand  to  protect  it  from  injury  by  the  bowstring 
after  the  discharge  of  the  arrow.  The  dark  veining  re- 
sults from  the  filling  of  the  fissures  in  the  material  with 
some  brownish-black  substance ;  it  is  an  excellent  example 
of  the  amphibolic  alteration  of  jadeite,  which  is  shown  by 
chemical  analysis  to  be  present  here  to  the  amount  of 
4.15  per  cent.  (No.  330  of  the  collection). 

A  recent  type  of  archer's  thumb  ring  in  this  collec- 
tion, of  the  Ch'ien-Lung  period  (1736-1795  a.d,),  is  of 

F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities, 
British  Museum,"  London,  1907,  p.  xxxvii;  see  plate  xxiv, 
Nos.  1621,  1624. 

Figured  in  Leviticus,  "  Geillustreerde  encyclopedie  der 
diamantnijverheid,"  Haarlem,  1907,  p.  229. 


106 


RINGS 


cylindrical  form,  the  thick  solid  side  bevelled  inward  at 
the  base  so  as  to  adjust  the  ring  to  the  hand;  the  convex 
top  slopes  downward  from  the  middle.  This  is  of  a 
beautiful  light  emerald-green  jadeite,  clouded  here  and 
there  with  shades  of  greenish  gray.  It  has  diameters  of 
1.06  inches  and  1.25  inches,  and  weighs  about  1  Vs  ounces. 
The  specific  gravity  and  hardness  are  those  of  the  jadeite 
variety  of  jade,  a  silicate  of  aluminum,  while  nephrite  is 
a  silicate  of  magnesium  (No.  508). 

The  Bishop  Collection  also  contains  two  archers' 
rings  of  the  original  type,  with  a  wide  flange  on  the  lower 
side.  These  are  entirely  of  carnelian,  and  are  representa- 
tive of  the  kind  really  used  by  archers.  The  greater  part 
of  the  thumb-rings,  many  of  them  called  more  or  less 
loosely  "  archers'  rings,"  were  never  designed  for  any 
such  special  use,  but  constitute  a  modification  of  the 
original  form  to  suit  them  for  habitual  wear.  Indeed, 
in  many  cases  the  more  ornate  were  rather  used  as  pretty 
toys  to  handle,  as  Orientals  are  fond  of  handling  gems 
or  small  jewels,  than  for  wear.  Of  course  the  gradual 
disuse  of  archery  in  military  operations  contributed 
greatly  to  the  change  of  fashion. 

In  this  collection  may  be  seen  a  finger-ring  (chih- 
huan)  of  white  jade  (nephrite)  set  with  jewels.  Its 
shape  resembles  that  of  an  archer's  ring  and  it  is  dec- 
orated with  floral  designs,  the  effect  enhanced  by  sixty 
precious  stones,  comprising  twenty-four  rubies,  thirty- 
two  emeralds  and  four  diamonds.  This  ring  is  of  Indian 
workmanship,  those  made  in  China  scarcely  ever  having 
any  precious-stone  adornment.  In  the  floral  ornamenta- 
tion a  row  of  rubies  and  emeralds  cut  en  cahochon  are 
outlined  in  gold  so  as  to  represent  flowers,  while  in  the 
field  are  four  conventionalized  upright  sprays,  each  com- 
posed of  three  flowers,  the  upper  one  a  facetted  diamond. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  107 


while  the  lateral  pair  are  facetted  emeralds.  On  the 
upper  rim  an  undulating  floral  scroll  has  stem  and  leaves 
of  gold,  and  flowers  set  alternately  with  rubies  and 
emeralds.^^ 

At  the  time  a  Corean  embassy  visited  the  United 
States  in  1883,  one  of  its  leading  members  was  Min 
Yonk  Ik,  a  princely  personage,  closely  related  to  the 
queen  of  the  country,  who  brought  with  him  two  thumb- 
Hngs,  which  he  wore,  alternately,  on  his  right  hand  thumb. 
In  the  case  of  one  of  these  rings  the  Corean  must  have 
been  imposed  upon  by  the  seller,  for  he  supposed  it  to  be 
jade,  while  the  present  writer's  examination  of  it  showed 
that  the  material  was  merely  serpentine.  Its  outside 
diameter  was  34  mm.  ( 1  Vs  in. ) ,  the  inside  diameter  being 
22  mm.  (about  %  in.),  the  length,  or  height,  was  28.5 
mm.  {lys  in.).  This  ring  was  described  by  the  writer 
in  1884,  in  Science;  in  the  succeeding  year  he  had 
occasion  to  correct  a  statement  that  it  was  an  archer's 
ring.^*  The  Corean  women  commonly  wear  two  rings, 
always  exactly  similar  in  every  respect.  As  a  rule  they 
are  perfectly  plain,  of  oval  form,  the  material  being  gold, 
silver,  amber  or  coral.  The  coral  was  usually  imported 
from  China. 

The  Chinese  ambassador,  Wu  Ting  Fang,  wore  a 
jade  ring  in  which  was  a  thick  plate  of  gold  to  reduce 
the  size.  Some  of  the  more  beautiful  are  of  the  pale 
green  jade,  known  by  the  Chinese  as  fei  ts'ui^  or  "king- 

^3  "  The  Heber  R.  Bishop  Collection  of  Jades,"  New  York, 
vol.  ii,  p.  259,  illustration. 

Science,  vol.  iv.  No.  82,  pp.  172,  173,  with  cut  of  the  ring; 
vol.  iv,  No.  85,  pp.  270,  271,  communication  by  Edward  S. 
Morse  on  the  subject;  vol.  vi,  No.  126,  July  3,  1885,  reply  of 
George  F.  Kunz,  citing  letter  of  Lieut.  G.  C.  Foulke,  U.S.N., 
of  U.  S.  Legation  at  Seoul,  Corea. 


108 


RINGS 


fisher-plumes."  Many  of  these  rings  are  exceedingly- 
costly;  when  made  of  some  piece  of  jade  possessing  very 
exceptional  qualities  of  color  and  surface,  a  thumb-ring 
may  cost  as  much  as  $10,000,  or  even  $15,000.  Inci- 
dentally, it  should  be  noted  that  Wu  Ting  Fang  is  an 
excellent  judge  of  precious  stones. 

Archers'  rings  are  made  by  Chinese  and  Manchus, 
Turks  and  Persians,  who  release  the  arrow  according  to 
Asiatic  style,  the  bowstring  being  held  by  the  bent 
thumb.  In  China  they  eventually  became  the  insignia 
of  military  rank,  and  were  of  jade,  or  a  glass  imitation 
of  j  ade ;  the  latter  are  the  kind  usually  to  be  found  in  curio 
shops.  The  Japanese  did  not  use  them,  the  archers 
wearing  a  glove  with  a  horn  thumb-piece.  This  type  of 
glove  was,  however,  not  used  by  the  Japanese  swords- 
men, as  the  stiff  thumb-piece  would  have  hindered  the 
free  use  of  the  hand.^^ 

An  engraved  finger  ring  entirely  of  milk-white  jade 
is  in  the  Berlin  Mineralogical  Museum,  and  in  the  col- 
lection of  Dr.  David  Wiser,  of  Zurich,  there  is  a  jade 
ring-setting  on  which  is  engraved  a  scorpion.  This 
image  was  believed  to  lend  to  the  object  so  engraved 
a  talismanic  virtue.  A  slab  of  jade  in  the  Freiburg 
Museum  bears  the  carefully  engraved  figure  of  a  scor- 
pion and  is  considered  to  be  an  amulet.  The  source  of 
this  specimen  and  the  place  and  time  in  which  it  was 
engraved  have  not  been  accurately  acertained.^^"" 

The  Pueblo  Bonito  ruins  in  New  Mexico  have  fur- 
nished us  with  a  fragment  of  a  jet  ring.  The  portion 
remaining  of  this  ring  shows  that  it  must  have  had  a 

Communicated  by  Stewart  Culin,  Brooklyn  Institute. 
^^^Heinrich  Fischer,  "  Nephrit  und  Jadeit,"  Stuttgart, 
1880,  pp.  39,  334,  fig.  52  on  page  39. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS 


109 


diameter  of  about  2.3  centimetres,  the  width  of  the  band 
being  1.4  centimetres.  Apparently  some  accident  befell 
the  original  ring,  causing  part  of  the  brittle  material  to 
chip  off,  for  in  the  section  that  has  been  preserved  a  piece 
of  jet,  as  wide  as  the  band  and  9  millimetres  across,  has 
been  inlaid  in  the  body  of  the  ring.  This  was  cut  away 
to  a  depth  of  a  millimetre,  and  the  concave-convex  inlay 
was  then  glued  on.^^ 

The  gold-plating  of  bronze  rings  dates  back  to  the 
Mycensean  period,  and  Ionic  silver  rings  with  gold  plat- 
ing were  made  in  the  sixth  century  b.c.  ;  Cypriote  bronze 
rings  of  about  the  third  century  B.C.  have  also  been  found. 
Where,  as  in  many  cases,  mere  gilding  has  been  resorted 
to,  only  traces  of  this  may  remain  after  the  lapse  of 
centuries.'^^  We  note  elsewhere  the  gold-plated  iron 
rings  worn  by  some  Roman  slaves  to  evade  the  penalty 
imposed  upon  those  who  illegally  wore  gold  rings. 

Glass  rings  are  frequently  made  at  Murano  and 
other  places  in  Italy  of  the  so-called  "  gold  stone,"  aven- 
turine,  or  Venice  gold  stone.  They  are  very  inexpensive 
and  are  generally  worn  by  children  or  young  girls. 
Mosaic  rings  are  those  in  which  the  upper  part  of  the 
ring  contains  either  a  Byzantine  mosaic  made  up  of 
colored  glass  or  other  material,  or  a  Florentine  mosaic, 
in  which  shell,  marble  and  other  materials  are  set  in  slate 
or  marble  settings. 

Bohemian  garnet  rings  are  generally  made  of  facetted, 
rose  cut,  or  cabochon  cut  garnets,  set  usually  in  8  to  14 

George  H.  Pepper,  "  The  Exploration  of  a  Burial  Room 
in  Pueblo  Bonito,  New  Mexico,"  Putnam  Anniversary  Volume, 
New  York,  1909,  p.  244,  fig.  7. 

F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  .  .  .  British  Museum," 
London,  1907,  p.  xxxii. 


110 


RINGS 


carat  gold.  They  are  made  in  Prague  and  other  cities 
in  Bohemia,  the  garnet  material,  of  the  pyrope  variety, 
coming  largely  from  the  mines  at  Meronitz,  Bohemia. 

Among  the  cheap  materials  that  have  been  used  on 
occasion  for  making  rings,  are  horseshoe  nails,  which 
may  perhaps  be  supposed  to  possess  some  of  the  wonder- 
ful talismanic  power  accorded  by  popular  fancy  to  the 
horseshoe.  The  nails  are  more  or  less  skilfully  twisted 
into  a  ring  form,  and  are  at  least  as  durable  as  other 
forms  of  iron  rings. 

An  extraordinary  material  combination  for  the  sub- 
stance of  rings,  is  that  of  dynamite  and  pewter.  At 
present  when  the  war-fever  has  seized  upon  almost  all 
civilized  peoples,  we  might  accord  to  the  dynamite  in  this 
composition  a  symbolic  martial  meaning.  What  risk 
there  might  be  of  the  painful  results  of  war  befalling 
the  wearer  of  a  dynamite  ring  through  its  detonating 
unexpectedly  because  of  some  powerful  shock,  is  per- 
haps too  slight  to  deter  those  who  are  in  eager  pursuit  of 
novelties. 

The  pale  alloy  of  gold,  known  as  electrum,^^  was 
favored  for  ring-making  in  Oriental  Greece,  and  is 
termed  "  white  gold  "  in  ancient  inventories.  Thus  in 
an  inventory  of  the  temple  treasures  of  Eleusis,  made  in 
332  B.C.,  there  is  mention  of  "  two  plain  gold  rings  of 

A  natural  or  artificial  mixture  of  gold  and  silver  found 
native  at  Vorospotak,  Transylvania,  and  elsewhere,  mentioned 
by  Herodotus.  The  electros,  rjXeKrpo^s^  of  Homer  and  Strabo ; 
Pliny,  xxxiii,  23 ;  although  this  word  was  most  frequently  used 
to  designate  amber.  Varying  in  specific  gravity  from  15.5  to 
12.5.  The  ratio  of  gold  to  silver  is  1:1.  Specific  gravity  of 
gold,  19.33;  silver,  pure,  10.5;  correspond  to  35.3  per  cent, 
of  silver,  gold  64.7  per  cent.  Pliny  states  that  when  the  propor- 
tion of  silver  to  gold  is  1 :  4  (20  per  cent.),  it  is  called  electra. 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  111 


white  gold."  Some  Ionic  rings  of  the  fifth  century, 
B.C.  from  Cyprus  are  also  of  this  metallic  composition. 
Of  gold  rings  set  with  stones,  a  Parthenon  inventory  of 
422  B.C.  lists  one  with  an  onyx,  perhaps  a  scaraboid,  and 
in  a  Delos  inventory  of  279  B.C.,  there  is  one  with  an 
anthraoo,  probably  a  garnet.  The  variation  of  the  phras- 
ing in  these  two  mentions,  the  former  naming  an  onyx 
having  a  ring  of  gold,  while  the  latter  speaks  of  a  "  gold 
ring  having  a  garnet,"  might  be  taken  to  indicate  that 
the  onyx  was  a  large  object  compared  with  the  hoop, 
and  the  garnet  a  relatively  small  one.'^^ 

In  the  masterpiece  of  ancient  Greek  romantic  prose 
literature,  the  ^thiopica  of  Heliodorus  (fl.  ab.  400  a.d.)  , 
perhaps  Heliodorus  Bishop  of  Tricca,  the  writer  de- 
scribes a  splendid  ring  given  by  Kalasiris  to  Nausikles. 
This  was  one  of  the  royal  jewels  of  the  King  of  Ethiopia. 
The  hoop  was  of  electrum,  and  in  the  bezel  was  set  a 
beautiful  amethyst  engraved  with  a  design  showing  a 
shepherd  pasturing  his  flock."^^  Heliodorus  especially 
dwells  upon  the  fact  that  this  was  an  Ethiopian  (prob- 
ably an  Indian)  amethyst,  this  variety  far  surpassing 
those  from  Iberia  (the  Spanish  Peninsula)  and  Britain. 
In  the  very  successful  rendering  of  this  Greek  passage 
by  Rev.  C.  W.  King,  the  contrast  between  the  former 
and  the  latter  is  thus  gracefully  expressed:^ ^ 

Corpus  Inscriptionum  Atticarum,  ii  (5),  767  b,  1,  19. 
'^^  J.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the   .    .   .    British  Museum,"  London, 
1907,  p.  xxxi. 

'^'^  "  Heliodorou  Aithiopikon,  biblia  deka,"  Parisiois,  1804, 
pt.  i,  pp.  190-192. 

"^^  C.  W.  King,  "  The  Natural  History  of  Precious  Stones 
and  Gems,"  London,  1865,  p.  64. 


11^  RINGS 

For  the  latter  blushes  with  a  feeble  hue,  and  is  like  a  rose 
just  unfolding  its  leaves  from  out  of  the  bud,  and  beginning  to 
be  tinged  with  red  by  the  sunbeams.  But  in  the  Ethiopian 
Amethyst,  out  of  its  depth  flames  forth  like  a  torch  a  pure  and 
as  it  were  Spring-like  beauty ;  and  if  you  turn  it  about  as  you 
hold  it,  it  shoots  out  a  golden  lustre,  not  dazzling  the  sight  by 
its  fierceness,  but  resplendent  with  cheerfulness.  Moreover,  a 
more  genuine  nature  is  inherent  in  it  than  is  possessed  by  any 
brought  from  the  West,  for  it  does  not  belie  its  appellation, 
but  proves  in  reality  to  the  wearer  an  antidote  against  intoxica- 
tion, preserving  him  sober  in  the  midst  of  drinking-bouts. 

In  his  "  Rape  of  the  Lock,"  Pope  writes  of  Belinda's 
golden  hair-bodkin,  that  the  metal  had  originally  been 
worked  up  into  rings  and  then  into  a  gold  buckle,  thus 
the  gold  was 

The  same,  his  ancient  personage  to  deck 
Her  great-great-grandsire  wore  about  his  neck 
In  three  seal-rings,  which,  after  melted  down, 
Formed  one  huge  buckle  for  his  widow's  gown. 

Besides  the  precious  metals  many  other  materials 
were  used  in  ancient  times  for  rings.  Thus  a  few  leaden 
rings  have  been  preserved,  a  number  of  them  having 
been  unearthed  in  a  tomb  at  Beneventum.  The  casting 
has  been  roughly  done,  without  finishing  touches.  It 
has  been  suggested  that  in  view  of  the  rarity  of  leaden 
rings,  the  large  number  found  in  this  tomb  may  be  taken 
to  indicate  that  the  deceased  had  been  a  manufacturer 
of  rings  of  this  kind.  From  Tanagra  comes  a  leaden 
ring  of  great  size;  as  it  is  too  large  for  wear,  it  might 
be  regarded  as  a  votive  offering  to  a  shrine  or  temple. 
Glass  rings  were  also  used  at  times  for  this  purpose  by 
the  poorer  classes,  an  example  of  such  a  ring  being  listed 
among  the  possessions  of  the  temple  of  Asklepios  at 
Athens  as  early  as  the  fourth  century  B.C.   The  manu- 


FORMS  OF  RINGS  AND  MATERIALS  113 


facture  of  glass  rings  was  quite  extensively  carried  on 
in  Alexandria.  In  one  case  the  bezel  had  been  adorned 
with  a  painting  of  a  woman's  head,  over  which  was  placed 
a  translucent  glass  plate.  This  was  found  at  the  Rosetta 
Gate,  Alexandria.'^^ 

An  ivory  ring  of  Roman  times,  later  provided  with 
a  band  of  silver,  is  noted  in  the  descriptive  catalogue  of 
the  Royal  Museum  at  Budapest.  It  is  of  oval  form  and 
artistically  engraved  with  the  seated  figure  of  a  military 
leader  clothed  with  a  mantle,  the  left  hand  extended  as 
though  delivering  a  speech ;  in  his  right  hand  he  holds  a 
spear.  Behind  him  is  a  trophy,  and  before  him  stands 
a  Roman  soldier  fully  armed.  Engraved  ivory  rings 
from  Greek  or  Roman  times  are  rare,  just  as  are  en- 
graved amber  rings.  The  trophy  emblem  denotes  that 
this  ring  commemorated  some  triumph,  or  victory.^* 

A  "  St.  Martin's  ring  "  had  become,  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  a  name  for  a  brummagem  ring,  as  is 
shown  among  other  examples  by  the  following  satirical 
passage  from  a  book  entitled  "  Whimsies,  or  a  new  Cast 
of  Characters,"  published  in  London  in  1631;  "St. 
Martin's  Rings  and  counterfeit  bracelets  are  commod- 
ities of  infinite  consequence;  they  will  passe  current 
at  a  may-pole,  and  purchase  favor  from  their  May 
Marian."  A  rare  tract  called  "  The  Captain's  Com- 
monwealth "  (1617)  says  that  kindness  was  not  like 
alchemy  or  a  St.  Martin's  ring,  "  that  are  faire  to  the 
eye  and  have  a  rich  outside ;  but  if  a  man  should  breake 

F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities, 
British  Museum,"  London,  1907,  pp.  xxxv,  xxxvi. 

"  Cimeliotheca  Musei  Nationalis  Hungarici  sive  catalogus 
historico-criticus  antiquitatum  raritatum  et  pretiosorum  eius 
instituti,"  Bud^,  1825,  p.  136. 
8 


114 


RINGS 


them  asunders,  and  looke  into  them,  they  are  nothing 
but  brasse  and  copper."  The  makers,  or  vendors  of 
these  rings  hved  within  the  precincts  of  the  collegiate 
church  St.  Martin's-le-Grand,  and  had  long  enjoyed  a 
certain  immunity  from  prosecution  under  the  laws  pro- 
hibiting the  manufacture  of  ornaments  made  in  imita- 
tion of  genuine  gold  or  silver  ones.  The  gilding  or 
silvering  of  brooches  or  rings  made  of  copper  or  latten, 
is  prohibited  by  an  ordinance  of  Henry  IV  (1404),  and 
another  of  Edward  IV  (in  1464),  which,  while  pro- 
nouncing it  to  be  unlawful  to  import  rings  of  gilded 
copper  or  latten,  expressly  declared  that  the  act  should 
not  be  construed  as  meaning  anything  prejudicial  to 
one  Robert  Styllington,  clerk,  dean  of  the  King's  free 
chapel  of  "  St.  Martin  le  Graund  de  Londres  "  or  to 
any  person  or  persons  dwelling  within  this  sanctuary 
or  precincts,  or  who  might  in  after  time  dwell  there,  or 
more  especially  in  St.  Martin's  Lane.'^^ 

Rings  set  with  precious  stones,  other  than  turquoises 
and  pearls,  can  be  safely  cleaned  with  warm  water,  white 
soap  and  a  trifle  of  ammonia.  The  wash  should  be  ap- 
plied with  a  soft  old  tooth-brush,  so  as  to  cleanse  the 
spaces  between  the  filling  and  the  stone-setting.  A  little 
polishing  off  with  a  soft  chamois  will  thoroughly  restore 
the  brilliancy  of  the  stone.  Turquoise  or  pearl  rings, 
however,  need  more  careful  treatment  and  the  above 
directions  do  not  apply  in  their  case. 

"^^  Francis  Cohen,  "  St.  Martin's  rings,"  Archeeologia,  vol. 
xviii,  pt.  i,  London,  1815,  pp.  55,  56. 


Ill 


SIGNET  RINGS 

IF  we  pass  over  the  scene  between  Judah  and  his 
daughter-in-law  Tamar,  related  in  Gen.  xxxvii, 
12-26,  where  the  patriarch  leaves  his  signet  (not  neces- 
sarily a  signet  ring)  his  bracelets  and  his  staff,  as  pledges 
for  a  promised  gift,  the  earliest  Hebrew  notice  of  a 
ring  is  in  Genesis  xlii,  42,  where  we  read  that  in  return 
for  the  interpretation  of  his  dream  and  for  the  valu- 
able counsel  as  to  laying  up  a  stock  of  grain  in  Egypt 
to  forestall  a  coming  famine,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  time 
"  took  oif  his  ring  from  his  hand,  and  put  it  upon 
Joseph's  hand."  This  might  refer  to  a  period  about 
1600  B.C.,  or  possibly  somewhat  earlier,  always  provid- 
ing the  tradition  be  accepted  as  in  a  certain  sense  exact. 
Centuries  later,  in  the  Desert,  when  the  Lord  com- 
manded offerings  for  the  Tabernacle,  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  and  for  the  ephod  and  breastplate,  among 
the  gifts  proffered  are  enumerated  "  bracelets,  earrings, 
and  rings  "  (Exodus,  xxxv,  22).  The  Book  of  Daniel, 
written  not  earlier  than  the  sixth  century  before  Christ, 
and  more  probably,  in  its  present  form,  a  work  of  the 
second  century  B.C.,  relating  the  imprisonment  of  Daniel 
in  the  lions'  den,  states  that  when  at  the  reluctant  com- 
mand of  King  Darius  he  was  shut  up  therein,  "  a  stone 
was  brought,  and  laid  upon  the  mouth  of  the  den;  and 
the  king  sealed  it  with  his  own  signet,  and  with  the 
signet  of  his  lords  "  (Dan.  vi,  17).  Still,  these  might 
have  been  of  the  well-known  Babylonian  type  of  "  roll- 
ing seals  "  and  not  rings. 

115 


116 


RINGS 


The  Book  of  Esther,  however,  of  later  date  than 
Daniel,  makes  definite  mention  of  the  signet  ring  of  the 
Persian  monarch  called  Ahasuerus  ( Artaxerxes)  in  the 
Biblical  text,  and  while  the  recital  can  scarcely  be  ac- 
cepted as  historical  in  any  sense,  the  details  of  custom 
and  adornment  are  probably  quite  trustworthy.  On 
investing  Haman  with  a  great  authority,  Ahasuerus 
"  took  his  ring  from  his  hand  and  gave  it  unto  Haman," 
whereupon  the  latter  summoned  the  king's  scribes  and 
had  them  write  letters  to  the  provincial  governors — in- 
structing the  latter  to  kill  all  the  Jews  in  the  kingdom 
on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  month  Adar;  each  of  these 
letters  was  "  sealed  with  the  king's  ring."  Before  this 
dire  disaster  could  be  consummated,  the  royal  favor  was 
gently  swayed  in  an  opposite  direction  by  the  grace 
and  charm  of  Esther,  the  Hebrew  favorite  of  the  sov- 
ereign, and  the  wicked  Haman  was  hanged  on  the  tall 
gallows  he  had  set  up  for  Mordecai,  Esther's  guardian, 
on  whom  the  ring  stript  from  Haman's  hand  was 
bestowed.  In  spite  of  the  somewhat  confused  recital, 
one  point  is  always  strongly  brought  out,  that  the  im- 
pression of  the  royal  signet  imparted  to  letters  or  docu- 
ments the  quality  of  royal  ordinances. 

In  Persia  the  power  and  authority  attributed  to  the 
ring  of  the  sovereign  is  noted  by  the  Persian  poet  Unsuri 
(fi.  1000  A.D. ) ,  and  in  the  legends  of  that  land  the  f  amous 
though  fabulous  hero-king,  Jemshid,  is  said  to  have  had 
a  magic  ring  of  wondrous  power.  Among  the  Persians, 
as  in  many  other  Oriental  countries,  the  signet-ring  was 
long  considered  to  be  a  symbol  of  authority.^ 

^  Communicated  by  Prof.  A.  V.  Williams  Jackson,  of  Col- 
umbia University,  who  cites  G.  B.  Browne's  "  Literary  History 
of  Persia"  (London  and  New  York,  1906),  vol.  ii,  p.  123, 
note  3,  and  Louisa  Stuart  Costello,  "  Rose  Garden  of  Persia," 
London,  1887,  p.  33. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


117 


The  gold  ring  of  Queen  Hatshepset  (about  1500 
B.C.),  consort  of  Thothmes  II,  whose  prenomen,  Maat- 
ka-Ra,  signifies  "  flesh  and  blood  of  Amen  Ra,"  is  set 
with  a  lapis  lazuli  scarab  inscribed  with  the  above  words. ^ 
Another  ring  with  lapis  lazuli  setting  is  that  of 
Thothmes  III,  whose  titles,  Beautiful  God,  Conqueror 
of  All  Lands,  Men-kheper-Ila,  are  inscribed  on  one  side 
of  the  rectangular  stone  above  a  design  representing 
a  man-headed  lion  in  the  act  of  crushing  a  prostrate 
foe  with  his  paw.^  A  steatite  scarab,  set  in  a  gold  ring, 
bears  the  name  of  Ptah-mes,  a  high  priest  of  Memphis.^ 
Another  steatite  ring-scarab  is  inscribed  with  the  name 
and  title  of  Shashank  I,  the  Shishak  of  the  Bible,  who 
reigned  about  966  b.c.^ 

The  gold  signet  ring  of  Aah-hotep  I,  queen  of 
Seqenenralll  (1610-1597  B.C.)  of  the  XVII  Dynasty, 
was  found  with  a  wealth  of  other  jewels  at  Draa-abul- 
Nega,  the  northern  and  most  ancient  part  of  the  Theban 
necropolis.  This  queen  had  an  unusually  long  and  event- 
ful life.  The  records  clearly  indicate  that  she  must  have 
been  one  hundred  years  old,  or  very  nearly  that  age, 
at  the  time  of  her  death,  and  while  her  youth  was  passed 
at  the  end  of  the  period  of  the  oppressive  rule  of  the 
foreign  Hyksos  kings,  she  lived  to  witness  the  glorious 
revival  of  native  Egyptian  rule  under  her  husband,  son 
and  grandson.  This  ring  is  now  in  the  Louvre  Museum.^ 

^  British  Museum,  Fourth  Egyptian  Room,  No.  201  (Table 
Case  J). 

2  British  Museum,  Fourth  Egyptian  Room,  No.  202. 
^  British  Museum,  Fourth  Egyptian  Room,  No.  204. 
^  British  Museum,  Fourth  Egyptian  Room,  No.  217. 
^  W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie,  "A  History  of  Egypt  During  the 
XVII  and  XVIII  Dynasties,"  London,  1904,  pp.  9,  10. 


118 


RINGS 


An  interesting  Egyptian  signet  bears  the  cartouche 
of  Khufu,  the  second  ruler  of  the  IV  Dynasty  (ab. 
3969-3908),  the  Cheops  of  the  Greeks  (Manetho's 
Suphis),  in  whose  reign  the  greatest  of  the  pyramids 
was  built.  The  worship  of  Khufu  continued  to  a  late 
period  of  Egyptian  history,  and  this  signet  belonged  to 
a  Ra-nefer-ab,  priest  or  keeper  of  the  pyramid  under 
the  XXVI  Dynasty,  664-525  b.cJ  The  ring  is  of  fine 
gold,  and  weighs  nearly  %  ounce ;  it  was  found  at  Ghizeh 
by  Colonel  Vyse,  in  a  tomb  known  as  Campbell's  Tomb, 
and  was  acquired  in  Egypt  by  Dr.  Abbott,  who  gathered 
together  a  choice  collection  of  Egyptian  antiquities  dur- 
ing a  residence  of  twenty  years  in  Egypt.  In  1860, 
this  collection  was  given  to  the  New  York  Historical 
Society  through  the  liberality  of  citizens  of  New  York.^ 

The  rings  of  the  Minoan  and  Mycensean  periods 
from  about  1700  B.C.  to  1000  B.C.  offer  a  great  variety  of 
engraved  designs,  some  in  relief  and  others  in  intaglio, 
but  all  destined  it  seems  for  use  as  signets.  Undoubtedly 
these  rings  derive  in  the  last  instance  from  Egyptian 
influence,  their  especial  characteristics,  however,  are  early 
Greek,  but  rarely  Egyptian,  as  in  the  case  of  a  bronze 
ring  with  a  sphinx  in  relief  found  in  the  necropolis  of 
Zafer  Papoura  near  Knossos  in  Crete. 

Many  of  the  Mycensean  engraved  rings  were  evi- 
dently not  intended  to  be  used  for  sealing,  as  the  intaglio 
is  frequently  very  shallow,  and  as  the  proper  position  of 
the  parts  of  the  body  would  not  be  rightly  shown  in 
an  impression.  Hence  these  rings  must  have  been  de- 
signed simply  for  wear  as  ornaments.  The  hoop  is  often 

W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie,  "A  History  of  Egypt  from  the 
Earliest  Times  to  the  XVI  Dynasty,"  New  York,  1895,  p.  42. 

^  New  York  Historical  Society,  "Catalogue  of  Egyptian 
Antiquities,"  New  York,  1915,  p.  63 ;  No.  1046,  figs.  1,  2  and  3, 


PORTRAIT  OF  KATHARINA  AEDER,  WIFE  OF  MELCHOW  HANLOCHER, 
BY  HANS  BOCK  THE  ELDER 
Gem  and  serpent  ring  on  right  forefinger,  and  three  rings  on  left  fourth  finger 
Art  Gallery  at  Basel,  Switzerland 


SIGNET  RINGS 


119 


astonishingly  small,  so  much  so  that  it  will  not  pass  down 
onto  the  third  finger- joint  of  an  average  man's  hand, 
and  would  only  fit  the  very  slender  finger  of  a  woman.^ 
Some  remarkably  fine  rings  are  in  the  Cesnola  Col- 
lection of  Cypriote  Antiquities  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art,  New  York.  Among  them  two  serpen- 
tine rings  of  gold  are  well  worth  noting.  In  one  of  these 
the  coil  has  six  turns  which  are  brazed  together;  at  either 
end  is  a  ram's  head.  The  other  ring  shows  a  serpent 
of  two  full  coils,  with  erect  head  and  curved  neck  and  tail ; 
scales  are  marked  at  the  ends.  The  bands  of  the  ring  are 
smooth  and  plain. Many  of  the  rings  are  of  the  swivel 
type  and  are  set  with  artistically  engraved  scarabs.  In 
one  of  these  the  scarab  is  of  green  plasma,  translucent 
but  somewhat  clouded ;  the  cutting  is  well  executed.  The 
bottom  shows  two  wrestlers,  each  entirely  nude  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  ribbed  apron  about  the  loins.  Be- 
hind each  is  an  erect  urseus  (the  serpent  emblem  of 
Egyptian  divinities  and  kings),  with  wings  like  those  of 
the  goddess  Mut,  extended  in  protection.  Between  the 
wrestlers,  on  the  ground,  is  an  object  resembling  a 
wolf's  head.  The  bow  and  collet  of  this  signet  are  of 
gold.  The  plasma  scarab  in  another  of  these  swivel 
rings  has  been  pronounced  to  be  a  perfect  example  of 
this  form.  The  stone  is  a  pure  green  and  the  scarab 
has  been  decorated  with  two  seated,  winged  andro- 
sphinxes  (with  man's  head  and  lion's  body),  the  paws 
raised  before  the  sacred  tree  between  them;  the  symbol 

®  Adolph  Furtwangler,  "  Die  Antiken  Gemmen,"  Leipzig  and 
Berlin,  1900,  vol.  iii,  p.  31. 

A  descriptive  atlas  of  the  Cesnola  Collection  of  Cypriote 
Antiquities  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York, 
by  Louis  P.  di  Cesnola,  vol.  iii,  pt.  i,  New  York,  1903,  pi.  xxiv, 
Nos.  12  and  13. 


120 


RINGS 


of  lordship,  nebj  is  placed  below.  The  hoop  is  a  plain, 
thin  wire.^^ 

Two  massive  ivory  rings  were  found  in  the  course  of 
excavations  at  Salamis,  on  the  island  of  Cyprus.  One 
was  set  with  an  oval  disk  of  green  glass,  and  was  of  the 
type  used  for  sealing  amphorse  of  wine.  The  other  bears 
the  head  of  a  woman  in  bas-relief;  this  is  probably  a 
cameo  of  Arsinoe.^^ 

The  story  of  the  ring  of  Polycrates,  tyrant  of  Samos 
(d.  522  B.C.),  is  related  by  Herodotus  (b.  484  B.C.), 
who,  writing  less  than  a  century  after  the  death  of  Poly- 
crates, may  probably  give  us  the  main  facts  with  reason- 
able accuracy.  According  to  this  accoimt,  Polycrates 
had  formed  an  alliance  with  Amasis,  King  of  Egypt, 
and  the  latter  began  to  fear  that  the  unbroken  good 
fortune  of  the  Samian  ruler  would  arouse  the  jealousy 
of  the  gods;  he  therefore  counselled  Polycrates  to  throw 
away  his  most  prized  treasure.  This  was  a  splendid 
emerald,  set  in  a  gold  ring,  and  engraved  by  Theodorus 
of  Samos,  the  supreme  master  of  the  art  of  gem  engrav- 
ing in  that  age.  Acceding  to  the  request  of  Amasis, 
Polycrates  sailed  out  to  sea  on  one  of  his  ships  and  cast 
the  precious  ring  into  the  waters.  However,  the  gods 
refused  the  gift,  for  not  long  afterward  the  tyrant's 
chief  cook  brought  him  back  the  ring,  which  had  just 
been  found  in  cutting  up  a  fish.  News  of  this  occurrence 
was  sent  to  Amasis,  who  immediately  broke  off  the 
alliance,  since  he  believed  that  the  gods  were  implacable, 
and  would  visit  Polycrates  with  downfall  and  destruc- 

^^Ibid.,  pi.  XXV,  figs.  10  and  IS. 

Alexander  Palma  di  Cesnola,  "  Salaminia  (Cyprus),  The 
History,  Treasures  and  Antiquities  of  Salamis  in  the  Island 
of  Cyprus,"  London,  1884,  p.  73,  figs.  7  and  13  on  pi.  vii. 

^2  Lib.  iii,  caps.  40-43. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


121 


tion.  This,  indeed,  proved  to  be  the  case,  as  a  few  years 
later  the  tyrant  was  inveigled  into  the  power  of  Oroetes, 
a  Persian  satrap,  and  was  put  to  death  by  crucifixion. 

The  design  engraved  upon  this  ring  was  a  lyre,  if 
we  can  trust  the  statement  to  this  effect  made  centuries 
later  by  Clemens  Alexandrinus/^  Strange  to  say  Pliny, 
who  relates  the  story  quite  fully,  asserts  that  in  the 
Temple  of  Concord  there  was  shown  the  supposed  gem 
of  the  famous  ring  of  Polycrates.  This  was  an  unen- 
graved  sardonyx,  set  in  a  golden  cornucopia,  and  had 
been  dedicated  to  the  temple  by  Augustus.  Pliny  is 
careful  to  write  "if  we  may  believe,"  in  reporting  this 
almost  certainly  spurious  treasure  of  the  Temple  of 
Concord.  Probably  the  attribution  was  nothing  more 
than  an  invention  of  the  custodians  to  enlist  the  interest 
of  visitors. 

A  corroboration  to  a  certain  extent  of  the  tradition 
that  the  seal  of  Polycrates  was  cut  on  an  emerald  is 
given  by  the  existence  of  a  small  engraved  emerald  of 
about  this  period,  found  in  Cyprus,  and  evidently  of 
Phoenician  workmanship.  It  bears  the  figure  of  a  sov- 
ereign holding  a  sceptre  in  one  hand  and  an  axe  in  the 
other ;  on  his  head  is  a  high  tiara  and  the  arrangement  of 
hair  and  beard,  as  well  as  the  dress  and  other  details,  are 
of  iEgypto- Syrian  type.  This  gem  formed  part  of  the 
Tyszkiewicz  Collection.^^ 

In  a  recently  published  work,  M.  Salomon  Reinach, 
of  the  National  Museum  at  St.  Germain-en-Laye,  an 
archaeologist  of  the  highest  repute,  makes  a  curious  con- 
jecture in  regard  to  the  real  significance  of  the  story 

Paedagogus,  lib.  iii,  cap.  ii. 

Adolf  Furtwangler,  "  Die  Antiken  Gemmen,"  Berlin,  1900, 
vol,  ii,  p.  273,  vol.  iii,  p.  81 ;  see  vol.  i,  plate  Ixi,  No.  11. 


122 


RINGS 


related  by  Herodotus  regarding  this  signet.  M.  Reinach 
holds  that  when  Polycrates  sailed  out  to  sea  to  cast  away 
his  ring,  he  was  engaged  in  the  performance  of  a  cere- 
mony similar  to  that  performed  annually  by  the  Doges 
of  Venice,  when  they  wedded  the  Adriatic  by  casting  a 
ring  into  its  waters.  Polycrates,  as  a  "  thalassocrat," 
or  ruler  of  the  sea,  celebrated  in  this  way  his  mastery 
over  this  element,  and  M.  Reinach  believes  that  this  act, 
told  as  an  isolated  happening  by  Herodotus,  was  really 
a  ceremony  repeated  each  year.  The  conjecture  is  an  in- 
genious one,  although  it  may  not  be  generally  accepted. 

The  signet  of  the  Persian  sovereign,  Xerxes,  is  said 
to  have  borne  the  nude  figure  of  a  woman  with  disheveled 
hair.^^  This  depicted  Anahita,  the  Persian  goddess  of 
fertilization  and  also  of  war,  a  divinity  closely  resembling 
the  Assyrian  Ishtar  in  her  attributes  and  functions. 
According  to  other  ancient  authorities,  however,  the  de- 
sign was  either  a  portrait  of  Xerxes  himself,  that  of 
Cyrus  the  Great,  or  else  a  representation  of  the  horse 
whose  neighing  legend  states  to  have  been  received  as 
an  omen  determining  the  choice  of  Darius  Hystaspes, 
father  of  Xerxes,  as  King  of  Persia. 

In  Greeco-Roman  times,  a  certain  Eurates  is  repre- 
sented to  be  the  owner  of  a  ring  set  with  an  engraved 
signet  bearing  the  head  of  the  Pythian  Apollo,  and  to 
have  boasted  that  the  ring  literally  "  spoke  "  to  him.  Of 
course,  the  satirist  Lucian,  who  tells  this  tale,  only  offers 
it  as  a  specimen  of  the  lies  told  by  Eurates,  still  the 

1^  Reinach,  "  Cultes,  Mythes  et  Religions,"  Paris,  1906, 
vol.  ii,  p.  214. 

Duffield  Osborne,  "  Gem  Engraving,"  New  York,  1912, 
p.  287. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


123 


recital  indicates  that  such  fables  were  credited  in  the 
second  century  of  our  era.^^ 

Another  superstitious  use  of  signet  rings  was  to 
throw  a  number  of  them  into  a  heap  and  pull  out  one 
at  random,  the  design  engraved  on  the  signet  being  inter- 
preted as  a  favorable  or  unfavorable  omen,  which  fore- 
told the  outcome  of  any  contemplated  action.  An  in- 
stance of  this  appears  in  Plutarch's  life  of  Timoleon 
(d.  337  B.C.),  the  Greek  general  who  freed  Syracuse 
from  the  tyrant  Dionysius.  In  one  of  his  campaigns 
the  enemy  had  taken  up  a  strong  position  behind  a  river, 
which  the  troops  of  Timoleon  were  forced  to  ford.  A 
noble  rivalry  sprang  up  among  the  officers  as  to  who 
should  be  the  first  to  enter  the  river,  and  Timoleon,  fear- 
ing that  confusion  would  result  from  the  dispute,  decided 
to  settle  the  question  by  lot.  Therefore  he  took  from 
each  of  the  officers  his  signet  ring,  cast  them  into  his  own 
cloak,  shook  them  together,  and  drew  out  one,  which  for- 
tunately bore  the  figure  of  a  trophy.  This  was  hailed  as 
a  good  omen,  the  quarrel  was  forgotten,  and  the  stream 
was  forded  so  impetuously,  and  the  attack  was  so  vigor- 
ous that  the  enemy  was  overwhelmed.^^ 

After  his  Persian  conquests,  in  331  B.C.,  Alexander 
the  Great  sealed  the  letters  he  sent  to  Europe  with  his 
old  seal,  while  for  those  sent  to  functionaries  in  his  new 
Asiatic  domains  he  used  the  seal  of  Darius  III,  Codo- 
mannus  (reigned  336-330  B.C.),  whose  daughter  Statira 
he  afterwards  wedded.  Quintus  Curtius  regards  this  as 
emblematic  of  the  idea  that  a  single  mind  was  not  wide  n 

IS  Luciani,  "  Opera,"  vol.  iii,  Lipsise,  1881,  pp.  119,  120. 
Philopseudes,  37. 

i^Plutarchi,  "Vitse,"  vol.  ii,  Lipsi^,  1879,  p.  32.  Tim- 
oleon, 31. 


124 


RINGS 


enough  to  embrace  two  such  destinies,^^  but  the  true 
reason  was  undoubtedly  that  the  Asiatic  officials  were 
already  familiar  with  the  Persian  sovereign's  seal  and 
were  accustomed  to  render  it  due  obedience. 

The  emblem  of  the  anchor  used  by  the  Seleucidse, 
the  dynasty  founded  in  Syria  by  Seleucus  Nicator,  one 
of  Alexander's  generals,  is  said  to  have  originated  in  a 
strange  dream  of  Laodicea,  mother  of  Seleucus  and  wife 
of  Antiochus.  One  night  she  dreamt  that  she  was  visited 
by  the  God  Apollo,  and  that  he  bestowed  upon  her  a  ring 
set  with  a  stone  on  which  an  anchor  was  engraved.  This 
was  to  be  given  to  the  son  she  was  to  bear.  As  such  a 
ring  was  found  in  the  room  the  next  morning,  the  dream 
seemed  to  be  thoroughly  corroborated,  and,  moreover, 
when  Seleucus  was  born,  he  had  on  his  thigh  the  birth- 
mark of  an  anchor.  Subsequent  to  Alexander's  death 
in  323  B.C.,  Seleucus  founded,  in  312  B.C.  the  kingdom 
of  Sjo-ia,  which  was  transmitted  to  a  long  series  of  his 
descendants,  each  of  whom  in  turn  is  said  to  have  borne 
a  similar  birthmark.^^ 

In  the  Hellenistic  period  (ca.  300  B.c.-ca.  100  B.C.) 
signet  rings  entirely  of  metal  largely  gave  place  to  those 
in  which  the  seal  was  engraved  on  a  stone  set  in  a  metal 
ring.  Chalcedony  continued  to  be  freely  used  for  this 
purpose,  but  the  employment  of  the  choicer  and  harder 
precious  stones  from  India,  transparent  and  brilhant, 
and  of  deeper  coloring,  characterizes  this  period.  In  the 
front  rank  is  the  jacinth,  unknown  in  earlier  times,  with 
its  wonderful  ruddy  hues.  This  is  the  favorite  stone  of 
the  time.   Usually  the  gem  is  given  a  strongly  convex 

20  <6  j)e  rebus  gestis  Alexandri  Magni,  regis  Macedoniae," 
lib.  vi,  No.  6. 

21  Justini,  "  Historiarum  phillipicarum  libri  XLIV,"  lib.  xv, 
cap.  4. 


CARDINAL  OF  BRANDENBURG,  BY  THE  MASTER  OF  THE  DEATH  OF 

MARY 

Seal  ring  on  index  of  right  hand;  rings  set  with  precious  stones  on  fourth  and  little  fingers 
of  the  same  hand 
Reale  Galleria  Nazionale,  Rome 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  MOTHER  AND  HER  DAUGHTER, 
BY  BARTHOLOMEW  BRUYN 
Three  rings  on  right  hand,  one  with  a  pointed  diamond;  also  three  rings  on  left  hand, 
two  on  index  finger;  the  one  on  the  fourth  finger  set  with  two  pearls 
Imperial  Hermitage,  Petrograd 


SIGNET  RINGS 


125 


form  in  order  to  bring  out  better  the  play  of  color. 
Scarcely  less  favored  than  the  jacinths  were  the  garnets, 
also  cut  in  a  convex  shape ;  in  many  cases  the  under  side 
was  cut  slightly  concave  to  enhance  the  effect.  Evi- 
dently, however,  garnets  were  less  prized  than  jacinths, 
for  the  engravings  on  the  former  are  almost  without  ex- 
ception much  inferior  to  those  on  the  latter.  Sometimes, 
in  this  period,  unengraved  garnets,  cut  convex,  are  used 
for  ring  adornment.  Another  precious  stone  that  makes 
its  first  appearance  in  the  Hellenistic  epoch  is  the  beryl, 
which,  because  of  its  costliness,  is  more  rarely  met  with 
than  those  we  have  already  mentioned.  It  is  only  used 
for  the  very  finest  work,  as  is  also  the  case  with  the  topaz. 
The  amethyst,  which  had  almost  gone  out  of  fashion  in 
the  preceding  periods,  was  now  restored  to  favor,  prin- 
cipally because  of  its  beautiful  color;  like  the  other 
stones,  it  was  cut  convex.  Rock  crystal  was  still  used, 
as  were  also  oarnelian  and  sardonyx.^  ^ 

That  cruel  persecutor  of  the  Jews,  Antiochus  IV, 
Epiphanes  (175-164  B.C.),  on  his  death-bed,  confided 
to  his  most  trusted  councillor,  Philip,  the  signet  ring  from 
his  finger,  that  it  might  be  held  in  trust  for  his  son,  a 
child  but  nine  years  old,  until  the  latter  should  come  of 
age  and  exercise  the  royal  authority.  In  the  meanwhile, 
the  grant  of  the  signet  was  equivalent  to  the  bestowal  of 
the  regency  upon  Philip,  as  he  had  the  power  to  affix  the 
royal  seal  upon  all  edicts  or  ordinances.  The  son  did 
not,  however,  live  to  receive  the  ring,  as  he  only  survived 
his  father  two  years,  although  he  was  a  nominal  successor 
under  the  title,  Antiochus  V,  Eupator.^^ 

22  Adolf  Furtwangler,  "  Die  antiken  Gemmen,"  Leipzig  and 
Berlin,  1900,  vol.  iii,  p.  150. 

23  «  Le  Cabinet  de  la  Bibliotheque  de  Sainte  Genevieve,"  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Claude  du  Molinet,  Paris,  1692,  p.  29. 


126 


RINGS 


Two  Greek  epigrams  in  the  Anthology,  on  engraved 
amethysts  in  signet  rings,  express  the  prevailing  super- 
stition regarding  the  sobering  effect  of  this  precious 
stone;  these  have  been  very  well  Englished  by  Rev.  C. 
W.  King.^*  One,  by  Antipater,  concerns  a  signet  of 
Cleopatra  and  runs  in  King's  version  as  follows : 

A  Moenad  wild,  on  amethyst  I  stand. 
The  engraving  truly  of  a  skilful  hand; 
A  subject  foreign  to  the  sober  stone, 
But  Cleopatra  claims  it  for  her  own; 
And  hallow'd  by  her  touch,  the  nymph  so  free 
Must  quit  her  drunken  mood,  and  sober  be. 

That  this  was  really  a  ring-stone  is  proved  by  the 
Greek  words  "  on  the  queen's  hand,"  which  King  has 
not  literally  translated.  The  image  was  that  of  Methe, 
goddess  of  intoxication.  The  other  epigram  is  shorter 
but  to  the  same  point : 

On  wineless  gem,  I,  toper  Bacchus,  reign ; 
Learn,  stone,  to  drink,  or  teach  me  to  abstain. 

That  admiration  of  a  work  of  art  on  the  part  of  an 
unscrupulous  official  is  sometimes  fraught  with  danger 
for  the  rightful  ownership  of  the  object,  was  illustrated 
in  the  case  of  a  seal  ring  belonging  to  a  Roman  citizen 
of  Agrigentum  in  Sicily.  The  arch-pilfercir  Verres, 
Roman  governor  of  the  island  from  73  to  71  B.C.,  being 
on  one  occasion  struck  by  the  beauty  of  a  seal  impression 
on  a  letter  just  handed  to  his  interpreter  Vitellius,  asked 
whence  the  letter  came  and  who  was  the  sender.  The 
information  was  of  course  quickly  given,  and  there- 

24  «  The  Natural  History,  Ancient  and  Modern,  of  Precious 
Stones  and  Gems,"  London,  1865,  pp.  60,  61;  Anthology  ix, 
752;  ix,  748. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


127 


upon  Verres,  then  in  Syracuse,  dictated  a  letter  to  his 
representative  in  Agrigentum,  requiring  that  the  seal 
ring  should  be  forwarded  to  Syracuse  without  delay, 
and  the  owner,  a  certain  Lucius  Titius,  was  forced  to 
give  it  up  to  the  unscrupulous  Roman  governor.^^  The 
injustice  of  this  act  must  have  been  felt  all  the  more 
keenly  that  the  special  and  peculiar  design  on  a  seal  was 
then  regarded  as  something  closely  linked  with  the  per- 
sonality of  the  owner. 

A  strong  appeal  to  the  memories  aroused  by  a  signet 
bearing  the  effigy  of  a  renowned  ancestor,  was  made  by 
Cicero  in  one  of  his  orations  against  Catilina.  He  de- 
clared that  when  he  submitted  to  Publius  Lentulus  Sura, 
who  was  involved  in  the  great  Catilinian  conspiracy,  an 
incriminating  letter  believed  to  be  his,  asking  him  whether 
he  did  not  acknowledge  the  seal  with  which  it  was 
stamped,  Lentulus  nodded  assent.  Thereupon  Cicero 
addressed  him  in  these  words:  "  In  effect  the  seal  is  well 
known,  it  is  the  image  of  your  ancestor,  whose  sole  love 
was  for  his  country  and  his  fellow-citizens.  Mute  as 
it  is,  this  image  should  have  sufficed  to  hold  you  aloof 
from  such  a  crime." 

When,  after  the  decisive  battle  of  Pharsala,  Julius 
Caesar  came  to  Egypt  in  pursuit  of  his  defeated  adver- 
sary, Pompey,  he  learned  that  the  latter  had  been  treach- 
erously assassinated  by  the  Egyptians,  who  hoped 
thereby  to  gain  favor  with  the  conqueror.  As  proof  of 
Pompey's  death,  his  head  was  brought  to  Csesar,  who 
turned  away  in  aversion  from  the  messenger  of  death. 
At  the  same  time,  Pompey's  signet  ring  was  given  to 

M.  Tullii  Ciceronis,  "  In  Verrem,  lib.  iv,"  Oratio  nona, 
cap.  26. 

26  Ciceronis,  "  In  Catilinam,"  iii,  cap.  v. 


128 


RINGS 


the  victor,  on  receiving  which  tears  rose  to  his  eyes,^^  for 
no  memento  could  be  more  potent  than  such  a  ring. 
Csesar's  manifestation  of  grief  was  absolutely  free  from 
hypocrisy  for  he  was  "  of  a  noble  generous  nature,"  and 
had  long  had  the  most  friendly  relations  with  Pompey, 
to  whom  he  gave  his  daughter  Julia  in  marriage,  until 
the  inevitable  rivalry  for  the  control  of  Rome  brought 
them  into  enmity.  The  death  of  Julia  is  said  to  have 
contributed  not  a  little  to  the  termination  of  the  friend- 
ship between  Caesar  and  Pompey. 

St.  Ambrose  answering  the  self -posed  query,  whether 
anyone  having  an  image  of  a  tyrant  was  liable  to  punish- 
ment, asserts  that  he  remembered  to  have  read  that 
certain  persons  who  wore  rings  bearing  the  effigies  of 
Brutus  and  Cassius,  the  assassins  of  Cgesar,  had  been 
condemned  to  capital  punishment.^^  Of  course,  the  wear- 
ing of  such  a  ring  would  imply  not  only  an  admiration 
of  the  person  figured,  but  also  devotion  to  his  cause. 

The  imprint  of  a  proprietor's  seal  was  frequently 
made  upon  his  trees,  and  served  to  establish  his  owner- 
ship, so  that  strangers  could  have  no  excuse  for  cutting 
them  down,  or  in  case  of  fruit  trees,  for  plucking  the 
fruit.  The  degree  of  confidence  reposed  in  the  seal  im- 
pression is  strikingly  illustrated  by  the  account  that 
when  Pompey  learned  that  some  of  his  soldiers  were 
committing  atrocities  on  the  march,  he  ordered  that  all 
their  swords  should  be  sealed,  and  no  one  should  remove 
the  impression  without  having  obtained  permission  to 
do  so.^^ 

Georgii  Longi,  "  De  annulis  signatoriis  antiquoTum," 
Francofurti  et  LipsijE,  1709,  p.  24,  citing  Plutarch's  life  of 
Pompey. 

28  Ibid.,  p.  40. 

29  Ibid.,  p.  115. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


129 


The  symbols  used  as  mint-marks  on  ancient  coins 
are  often  reproductions  of  the  seals  of  the  chief  magis- 
trate of  the  city  or  district,  or  else  of  the  mint-master. 
Among  these  may  be  noted  such  types  as:  a  locust,  a 
calf's  head,  a  dancing  Satyr,  a  young  male  head,  a  culex 
(gnat),  etc.^^  A  ring  as  a  mint-mark  on  early  English 
coins  is  a  clear  indication  that  such  coins  were  struck  in 
one  of  the  ecclesiastical  mints.  On  a  penny  of  Stephen's 
reign  ( 1135-1154) ,  from  the  Archbishop  of  York's  mint, 
this  mint-mark  has  been  made  by  converting  the  left  leaf 
of  the  fleur-de-lys  surmounting  the  sceptre  into  a  small 
annulet.  The  ring-mark  appears  on  the  coins  of  York 
from  the  earliest  times,  and  is  assumed  to  have  been 
especially  favored  for  the  English  Primate's  mint  in 
reference  to  the  Ring  of  St.  Peter,  or  the  Fisherman's 
Ring.  A  penny,  probably  coined  after  the  installation 
of  Archbishop  William  in  1141,  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
earliest  of  this  type.  The  reverse  gives  Ulf  as  the  name 
of  the  coiner  or  money er.^^ 

While  none  of  the  signet  rings  of  Roman  emperors, 
or  even  of  Romans  prominent  in  the  social  or  political 
life  of  the  centuries  immediately  preceding  and  succeed- 
ing the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era,  have  been  pre- 
served, it  is  possible  to  learn  from  literary  sources  the 
devices  engraved  on  many  of  them.  Scipio  Africanus, 
the  conqueror  of  Hannibal,  had  his  father's  portrait  en- 
graved on  his  signet,  and  his  son  followed  the  father's 
example  in  this  respect.    The  idea  seems  to  be  an  ex- 

30  Edward  T.  Newell,  "  Historia  numorum,"  Oxford,  1911, 
p.  159. 

3^  W.  J.  Andrew,  "A  Remarkable  Hoard  of  Silver  Pennies 
and  Halfpennies  of  the  Reign  of  Stephen,  found  at  Sheldon, 
Derbyshire,  in  1867,"  in  The  British  Numismatic  Journal,  1st 
ser.,  vol.  vii  (1911),  pp.  52,  56;  see  pi.  ii,  fig,  27. 
9 


130 


RINGS 


cellent  one,  as  both  family  honor  and  filial  love  could  thus 
find  expression.  The  gifted,  but  dissolute  Sylla,  in 
the  first  design  he  had  cut  upon  his  signet,  sought  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  his  victory  over  Jugurtha  in 
107  B.c.^  the  Mauritanian  king  Bocchus  being  depicted 
in  the  act  of  surrendering  Jugurtha.  Later  on  Sylla 
used  a  signet  with  three  trophies,  and  finally  selected  one 
vi^ith  a  portrait  of  Alexander  the  Great.  For  Lucullus, 
the  great  gourmet  and  master  of  all  the  arts  of  Roman 
luxury,  the  head  of  Ptolemy,  King  of  Egypt,  seemed 
the  design  best  fitted  for  his  signet. 

The  two  great  rivals,  Pompey  and  Csesar,  chose 
widely  divergent  symbols.  The  former  wore  a  signet 
engraved  with  a  lion  bearing  a  sword,  while  on  Caesar's 
ring  was  cut  an  armed  Venus,  the  Venus  Victrix,  from 
whom  the  gens  Julia  claimed  descent,  and  for  whose 
statue  Csesar  is  said  to  have  brought  pearls  from  Britain 
to  be  set  on  the  statue's  breastplate.  The  first  choice 
made  by  Augustus  was  a  sphinx,  in  symbolical  allusion 
to  his  taciturnity ;  later  in  his  reign  he  wore  a  signet  with 
Alexander  the  Great's  head  engraved  thereon,  and 
finally,  moved  perhaps  by  the  flatteries  of  his  adulators, 
he  substituted  his  own  image  for  that  of  the  great 
Macedonian.  The  famous  literary  patron  of  the  Aug- 
ustan Age,  Maecenas  (d.  8  a.d.),  who  was  at  the  same 
time  a  very  able  statesman,  chose  the  singular  emblem 
of  a  frog.  That  the  blood-thirsty  Nero  should  select  a 
design  figuring  a  martyrdom  seems  very  appropriate, 
and  in  the  flaying  of  Marsyas  by  Apollo  cut  on  his  ring, 
he  undoubtedly  identified  himself  with  the  sun  god  and 
leader  of  the  muses  who  took  vengeance  upon  his  would- 
be  rival  in  the  musical  art.  For  Nero  was  a  most  devoted 
amateur  of  the  arts  as  he  understood  them,  and  had 
sung — in  a  strained,  high-pitched  voice  it  is  said — in  the 


SIGNET  RINGS 


131 


theatres  of  Greece,  earning  applause  enough  from  the 
wily  Greeks  we  may  be  sure.  Actuated  by  jealousy,  he 
is  said  to  have  had  the  singer  Menedemus  whipped,  and 
to  have  warmly  applauded  his  "  melodious  "  cries  of 
agony,  evidently  rejoicing  in  having  forced  him  to  "  sing 
another  song." 

Galba  (3-69  B.C.) ,  Nero's  immediate  successor,  is  said 
to  have  used  successively  three  signets,  the  first  depicting 
a  dog  bending  its  head  beneath  the  prow  of  a  ship ;  this 
was  followed  by  a  ring  showing  a  Victory  with  a  trophy, 
and  lastly  came  one  bearing  the  effigies  of  his  ancestors. 
As  his  reign  of  less  than  a  year  seems  too  short  for  us  to 
suppose  that  all  these  changes  were  made  in  that  time, 
perhaps  only  the  last-mentioned  ring  was  the  one  he  used 
as  emperor.  Commodus  (161-192  a.d.),  the  unworthy 
son  of  the  philosopher-emperor,  Marcus  Aurelius,  had 
the  figure  of  an  Amazon  engraved  for  his  signet,  this 
choice  having  been  made,  so  it  is  said,  because  of  the 
pleasure  he  took  in  seeing  his  mistress  Martia  dressed  in 
this  way. 

Augustus  Csesar  reposed  such  unlimited  confidence 
in  his  son-in-law,  Agrippa,  and  in  his  friend  and  finance 
minister,  Maecenas,  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  confiding 
his  letters  to  them  for  correction,  and  gave  them  per- 
mission to  send  off  the  corrected  letters,  bearing  the 
stamp  of  his  signet  which  he  had  deposited  in  their 
charge,  without  submitting  them  again  to  him.  Similar 
trust  was  reposed  by  Vespasian  in  Mutianus.^^ 

The  seal  was  stamped  on  a  linen  band  passed  around 
the  closed  tablets  on  the  inside  surfaces  of  which  the 
letter  had  been  written.    The  impression,  made  when 

P.  J.  Mariette,  "  Traite  des  pierre  gravees,"  Paris,  1750, 
vol.  i,  pp.  23,  24). 


132 


RINGS 


the  ends  of  the  band  were  joined,  was  either  upon  wax, 
soft  viscous  earth,  or  even  on  a  mixture  of  chalk;  this 
was  commonly  moistened  with  saliva  before  the  signet 
was  used,  so  that  the  engraved  stone  might  not  adhere  to 
the  imprint  and  could  be  easily  taken  off.  The  bearer 
of  such  a  letter  fully  realized  his  responsibility  for  its 
delivery  with  unbroken  seal,  and  generally  took  pains 
to  have  this  duly  recognized  by  the  person  to  whom  it  was 
addressed.^^  The  personal  seal  was  also  impressed,  both 
in  Roman  times  and  later,  upon  all  documents  private 
or  public.  In  the  case  of  private  documents  the  strictly 
guarded  individuality  of  the  seal  really  afforded  a  very 
considerable  guarantee  of  the  genuineness  of  a  docu- 
ment. A  survival  of  this  is  the  common  little  red  seal 
attached  now-a-days  to  legal  documents,  necessary  to 
their  validity  it  is  true,  but  giving  no  possible  confirma- 
tion of  the  signature.  This  latter  was  in  fact  repre- 
sented by  the  design  of  the  old  signets. 

The  "  Dream  Book  "  of  Artemidorus  relates  as  an 
especially  direful  vision,  that  of  one  who  dreamed  his 
signet  ring  had  dropped  from  his  finger,  and  that  the 
engraved  stone  set  therein  had  broken  into  many  frag- 
ments, the  result  of  this  being  that  he  could  transact  no 
business  for  forty-five  days,^*  presumably  until  he  could 
have  a  new  signet  engraved.  For  the  impression  of  the 
individual  signet  was  indispensable  to  give  validity  to 
any  order  or  agreement. 

The  Jewish  historian  Josephus  cites,  as  an  example 
of  absent-mindedness,  that  when  the  Roman  senator 
Cneius  Sentius  Saturninus  arose  in  the  senate  and  pro- 

P.  J.  Mariette,  "  Traite  des  pierre  gravees,"  Paris,  1750, 
vol.  i,  p.  20. 

Georgii  Longi,  "  De  anulis  signatoriis  antiquorum,"  p.  25  ; 
Arteraidori,  "  Oneirocriticon,"  lib.  v,  cap.       i,  709. 


Two  bronze  rings  excavated  at  th 
Borough  Field,  Chcsterford.  Esse: 
1848.    Late  Roman. 

British  Museum 


Bone    ring    with    grotesque  mask 
carved  on    bezel.     Found    near  the 
ampitheatre  at  Lyons,  France.  Roman. 
British  Museum 


Ornamental  gold  ring  from  Wiston,         Silver   ring.     On   bezel  engraved 

Sussex    England,  set   with   a  dark  design  of  a  bird  approaching  a  fallen 

amethyst  stag.    About  Fifth  Century  a.d. 
British  Museum  British  Museum 


SIGNET  RINGS 


133 


nounced  a  fiery  harangue  on  the  death  of  Caligula,  urg- 
ing the  senators  to  regain  their  former  liberties  of  which 
they  had  been  robbed,  he  quite  forgot  that  he  wore  on 
his  hand  a  ring  set  with  a  stone  on  which  the  head  of 
the  detested  tyrant  was  cut.  His  fellow  senator, 
Trebellius  Maximus,  remarking  it,  however,  snatched  it 
from  his  finger,  and  the  stone  was  crushed  to  pieces.^^ 

How  common  in  ancient  Rome  was  the  use  of  a 
signet  ring  to  seal  up  the  provision  rooms  in  a  household, 
is  shown  by  a  passage  in  the  "  Casina  "  of  the  comic  poet 
Plautus,  written  about  200  b.c.^ where  Cleopatra  on  leav- 
ing her  home  to  visit  a  neighbor,  directs  her  slaves  to 
seal  these  rooms  and  bring  her  ring  back  to  her.^^ 

Of  the  betrothal  ring,  Clemens  Alexandrinus  says 
that  it  was  not  given  as  an  ornament,  but  for  sealing 
objects  in  the  conjugal  domicile.  As  the  husband's 
signet  ring  was  often  used  in  a  similar  way,  it  was  quite 
customary  to  bequeath  it  to  a  wife  or  a  daughter.  An 
example  of  this  appears  in  the  case  of  Emperor  Aurelian 
(214-275  A.D.)  who  left  his  seal  ring  to  his  wife  and 
daughter  jointly,  the  Latin  historian  adding  that  in  so 
doing  he  was  acting    just  like  a  private  citizen." 

A  curious  subject  was  chosen  for  his  signet-ring  by 
a  native  of  Intercatia  in  Spain.  His  father  had  been 
killed  in  a  single  combat  by  the  Roman  leader  Scipio 
iEmilius,  and  it  was  this  scene  that  the  son  had  engraved 
upon  his  ring.  When  Stilo  Preconinus  related  this  fact 
in  Rome  he  laughingly  demanded  of  his  hearers  what 
they  supposed  the  Spaniard  would  have  done  if  his  father 

Josephus,  "  History  of  the  Jews,"  book  xix,  chap.  2. 
Act  II,  sc.  i,  ver.  58. 

Vopisci,  "  Divus  Aurelianus,"  in  Scriptores  hist.  August., 
vol.  ii,  p.  184. 

Abbe  Barrand,  "  Des  bagues  a  toutes  les  epoques,"  Paris, 
1864,  p.  177;  reprint  from  Bulletin  Monumental,  vol.  xxx. 


134 


RINGS 


had  killed  Scipio  instead  of  being  killed  by  him.^^ 
In  the  Roman  world  the  custom  of  removing  the 
rings  in  case  of  death  is  noted  by  Pliny,  who  says  that 
they  were  taken  from  the  fingers  of  those  in  the  coma- 
tose state  of  the  dying;  the  rings  were  often  replaced 
after  death.^^  An  instance  in  point  is  noted  by  Suetonius, 
who  reports  that  when  Tiberius  became  unconscious, 
and  was  believed  to  be  about  to  die,  his  seal  ring  was 
slipped  from  his  finger,  but  on  regaining  consciousness 
the  emperor  demanded  that  it  should  be  replaced.^^  To 
have  a  ring  drop  from  the  finger  was  regarded  as  a  bad 
omen,  and  when  an  accident  of  this  kind  happened  to 
Emperor  Hadrian,  he  is  said  to  have  exclaimed:  "  This 
is  a  sign  of  death."  The  ring  which  fell  from  his  finger 
bore  a  gem  engraved  with  his  own  image. 

The  elegy  of  Propertius  (49-15?  B.C.)  on  the  "  Shade 
of  Cynthia,"  gives  proof  that  a  valuable  ring  was  often 
left  on  the  hand  of  the  corpse  when  it  was  burned  on  the 
funeral  pyre.  The  Latin  verses  describing  the  apparition 
may  be  thus  rendered  in  prose 

"  She  still  had  the  same  eyes  and  hair  as  when  on  the 
•  funeral  couch;  but  her  garments  had  been  burned  away. 
The  flame  had  destroyed  the  beryl  which  used  to  grace 
her  finger,  and  the  infernal  stream  had  discolored  her 
lips." 

The  sense  of  intimate  connection  between  a  valued 
ring  and  the  wearer,  finds  expression  in  Shakespeare's 
lines  (Cymbeline  Act  I,  sc.  5) : 

My  ring  I  hold  dear  as  my  finger ;  'tis  part  of  it. 
And  if  we  go  back  2200  years  to  a  far  distant  quarter 
of  the  globe  we  meet  with  the  same  feeling  of  intimate 

2^  Plinii,  "  Naturalis  Historia,"  lib.  xxxiii. 
'^^  Suetonii,  "  Vita  Caesarum,"  Tiberius. 
Lib,  iv,  No.  vii. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


135 


connection  in  the  inspired  words  of  the  Hebrew  prophet 
Jeremiah  (xxii,  24)  : 

Asl  live,  saith  the  Lord,  though  Coniah  the  son  of  Jehoiakim 
King  of  Judah  were  the  signet  upon  my  right  hand,  yet  would  I 
pluck  thee  hence. 

The  prophet  Haggai  (chap,  ii,  verse  23)  uses  the 
designation  signet  to  indicate  a  specially  chosen  instru- 
ment, in  the  following  words: 

In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  will  I  take  thee, 
O  Zerubbabel,  my  servant,  the  son  of  Shealtiel,  saith 
the  Lord,  and  will  make  thee  as  a  signet:  for  I  have 
chosen  thee,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. 

The  Freemasons  have  adopted  the  signet  of  Zerub- 
babel as  one  of  the  symbols  of  the  Royal  Arch,  the 
seventh  masonic  degree.^^ 

The  monogram  of  Christ  appears  on  a  signet  made 
for  a  Christian  lady  of  Roman  times,  ^lia  Valeria.  Of 
this  sacred  symbol  St.  John  Chrysostom  wrote  that  the 
Christians  of  his  time  always  inscribed  it  at  the  begin- 
ning of  their  letters,  and  he  gives  as  a  reason  for  this  that 
wherever  the  name  of  God  appeared  there  was  nothing 
but  happiness.  Undoubtedly  the  shape  of  the  Greek  X 
(Ch) ,  forming  part  of  this  monogram,  suggested  a  form 
of  the  cross,  and  gave  an  added  significance  to  the  mono- 
gram, especially  in  view  of  Chrysostom's  statement  that 
the  Christians  of  his  time  painted  or  engraved  a  cross 
on  their  houses  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  their 
foreheads  and  their  hearts.^^ 

42  Albert  G.  Mackey,  "The  Book  of  the  Chapter:  or 
Monitorial  Instructions  in  the  Degrees  of  Mark,  Past  and 
Most  Excellent  Master  and  the  Royal  Arch,"  New  York,  1858, 
p.  128. 

4^  "  Le  Cabinet  de  la  Bibliotheque  de  Sainte  Genevieve,"  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Claude  du  Molinet,  Paris,  1692,  p.  3,  pi.  8,  fig.  5, 
impression  of  seal ;  the  letters  are  rather  irregularly  disposed, 


136 


RINGS 


Clemens  Alexandrinus  in  the  second  century  tells  us 
that  men  were  required  to  wear  the  seal  ring  on  the  little 
finger,  as  worn  in  this  way  it  would  interfere  least  with 
the  use  of  the  hand,  and  would  be  best  protected  from 
injury  and  loss/^  While,  however,  fashion  must  have 
dictated  to  a  great  extent  the  finger  on  which  a  seal  ring 
was  to  be  worn,  we  should  bear  in  mind  that  any  particu- 
lar custom  in  this  matter  was  not  constant,  and  that  indi- 
vidual preferences  must  often  have  determined  the  finger 
chosen  to  bear  the  seal  ring.  This  diversity  is  attested 
by  the  differing  statements  of  the  old  writers,  as  well  as 
by  the  rare  examples  offered  by  ancient  statues  and 
paintings. 

One  of  the  rare  ivory  rings  in  the  British  Museum  is 
a  signet  the  bezel  of  which  bears  an  engraved  design  of 
Christ  on  the  Cross,  with  the  Virgin  and  St.  John  on 
either  side.  The  legend  is  the  motto  of  Constantine  the 
Great :  In  hoc  signo  vinces.  The  hoop  of  this  ring,  which 
was  found  in  Suffolk,  has  been  restored  at  the  back.  The 
figures  are  very  rudely  engraved  for  a  production  of  the 
sixteenth  century.*^ 

It  appears  to  have  been  an  ancient  usage  in  some 
parts  of  the  Christian  world  to  use  two  signet  rings  in 
connection  with  the  baptismal  ceremonies.  One  of  these 
was  employed  to  seal  up  the  font,  or  else  the  baptistry, 
while  the  other  was  used  to  affix  a  seal  upon  the  pro- 
fession of  faith  made  by  the  neophyte,  this  profession 
being  later  entered  on  a  public  register.  Some  of  the 
ecclesiastical  writers  saw  the  origin  of  the  first-named 
ring  in  the  text  (Cant,  iv,  12) : 

Clementis  Alexandrini,  "  P^dagogus,"  lib.  iii,  cap.  ii. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later  (British  Museum),"  London,  1912,  p.  120,  No.  778. 


Bronze  signet-ring,  Byzantine,  two  views 
and  impression.  The  abbreviated  Greek  in- 
scription reads:  "May  the  Lord  help  his 
servant  Stephan" 

British  Museum 


5ronze  signet  ring.  European. 
Fifteenth  Century 
British  Museum 


Silver  ring,  broken  at  the  back. 
Bezel  bears  letter  "T"  crowned. 
Fifteenth  Century 
British  Museum 


Ivory  signet  ring,  with  impression. 
On  the  carved  bezel,  the  Crucifixion, 
between  the  Virgin  and  St.  John; 
legend:  "In  hoc  signo  vinces,"  motto 
of  the  Emperor  Constantine 
British  Museum 


Bronze  signet.  The  octagonal  bezel  is  en- 
graved with  a  greyhound's  head,  and  a  rather 
obscure  inscription.  Ring  and  impression  of 
signet.   Fifteenth  Century 

British  Museum 


Massive  gold  ring;  bezel  en- 
graved with  a  lion  passant 
regardant,  and  the  legend: 
"Now  is  thus."  English,  late 
Fifteenth  Century.  Ring  and 
impression  of  signet 

British  Museum 


SIGNET  RINGS 


137 


A  garden  enclosed  is  my  sister,  my  spouse ;  a  spring  shut  up, 
a  fountain  sealed.^^ 

A  recognition  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  cen- 
tury A.D.  bishops  were  in  possession  of  signet  rings  is 
offered  by  a  circular  letter  addressed  by  Clovis  I,  in 
511  A.D,,  after  his  victory  over  the  Visigoths  at  Vougle, 
to  the  bishops  of  the  many  cities  that  came  under  his 
domination  as  the  fruits  of  this  success.  He  informs 
the  bishops  that  he  will  free  all  prisoners,  either  clerical 
or  lay,  for  whom  this  favor  shall  be  asked  in  letters 
"  sealed  with  your  ring."  This,  however,  only  confirms 
the  other  testimony  to  the  effect  that  the  bishops  had 
signets,  but  does  not  suffice  to  establish  the  existence  at 
this  time  of  rings  given  to  them  at  their  consecration  as 
symbols  of  their  office.^^ 

The  French  kings  of  the  Merovingian  age  stamped 
upon  their  royal  documents  the  design  engraved  on  their 
signet  rings,  the  accompanying  formula  being  frequently 
as  follows:  "  By  the  impress  of  our  ring  we  corroborate 
{roborari  fecimus)'';  slightly  different  forms  appear 
sometimes.  The  following  list  gives,  with  the  dates,  a 
number  of  seal  impressions  that  have  been  found  on  such 
documents 

SS.  Zenonis  et  Optati,  "  Opera  omnia,"  in  Migne's 
Patrologia  Latina,  vol.  xi,  Paris,  1845 ;  S.  Optati,  "De  schismate 
Donatistiarum,"  lib.  i,  cap.  10,  note. 

Philippi  Labbaei  and  Cossarti,  "  Sacrosancta  concilia," 
vol.  iv,  col.  1403. 

Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  anneaux  dans  I'antiquite  romaine, 
et  dans  les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age,"  Paris,  1896,  pp.  108, 
109;  from  Memoires  de  I'Academie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles 
Lettres,  vol.  xxxv. 


138 


RINGS 


Childebert  I,  5S8  a.d. 

Sigebert  I,  545,  a.d. 

Chilperic  I,  583  a.d. 

Dagobert  I,  629,  631-632,  635  a.d. 

Childeric  II,  664  a.d. 

Thierry  III,  673  a.d. 

Dagobert  II,  675  a.d. 

Charles  Martel  (mayor  of  the  palace),  724  a.d. 

Pepin  le  Bref  (mayor  of  the  palace),  748  and  751  a.d. 

Pepin  le  Bref,  king,  755  and  768  a.d. 

In  the  Carolingian  period,  Charlemagne  and  his  suc- 
cessors continued  the  use  of  the  same  formulas. 

The  possession  of  signet  rings  by  well-born  women, 
although  not  usual  in  Roman  times,  became  quite  com- 
mon in  the  early  Middle  Ages,  under  the  influence  of 
the  Germanic  peoples,  which  accorded  to  woman  a  much 
more  important  station  than  did  the  Romans  or  Gallo- 
Romans.  Among  the  relics  of  the  Merovingian  period 
that  have  been  preserved  to  our  day,  is  the  ring  of  Ber- 
teildis,  one  of  the  wives  of  Dagobert  I  ( 602  ?-638 ) It 
is  of  silver  and  is  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  queen 
and  the  monogram  of  the  word  regina,^^  A  document 
from  the  time  of  Childeric  II,  dated  in  637,  shows  im- 
pressions of  two  queenly  signets,  one  that  of  Emnechildis, 
wife  of  Sigebert  II,  King  of  Austrasia  and  guardian  of 
Childeric,  and  the  other  belonging  to  Blichildis^J,  Chil- 
deric's  wife. 

In  the  tomb  of  the  Frankish  king  Childeric  I  (458- 
481  A.D.),  accidentally  discovered  at  Tournai  in  1653, 

M.  Deloche  in  Revue  archeologique,  3d  Series,  1886,  vol.  ii, 
p.  141  and  1893,  vol.  i,  p.  269. 

See  also  the  same  writer's  "  Etude  historique  et  archeo- 
logique sur  les  anneaux  sigillaires,"  Paris,  1900,  p.  203,  fig. 
This  ring  was  found  at  Laon,  dept.  Aisne. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


139 


in  an  ancient  cemetery  of  the  parish  church  of  St.  Brica, 
were  found  a  number  of  valuable  relics  of  this  sovereign, 
among  them  his  signet  ring.  After  having  been  taken  to 
Vienna  by  Archduke  Leopold  Wiihelm,  then  governor 
of  the  Low  Countries,  the  treasure  came,  after  his  death, 
into  the  Imperial  Cabinet  there.  In  1665  the  Archbishop 
of  Mayence  secured  from  Emperor  Leopold  I  permission 
to  offer  it  to  Louis  XIV.  In  July  of  this  year  the 
precious  objects  were  transmitted  to  the  French  king 
and  were  deposited  in  the  Cabinet  de  Medailles,  recently 
constituted  in  the  Louvre.  Shortly  afterward,  they  were 
transferred  to  the  Bibliotheque  du  Hoi,  and  were  safely 
preserved  in  this  institution,  under  its  changing  names, 
until  1831,  when  the  ring  and  other  of  the  Childeric 
relics,  as  well  as  a  number  of  other  historic  objects,  were 
stolen  from  the  library.  The  ring  was  never  recovered. 
Fortunately  there  exists  a  very  exact  description  and  a 
figuration  of  the  ring  in  an  account  of  the  treasure  pub- 
lished in  1655,  at  Antwerp,  by  Jean  Jacques  Chifflet, 
first  physician  of  the  Archduke.^^  The  ring,  which  is  of 
massive  gold,  bears  a  large  oval  bezel  on  which  is  en- 
graved the  bust,  full  face.  The  sovereign  is  beardless, 
with  long  hair  parted  in  the  middle  and  hanging  down 
to  his  shoulders.  The  bust  is  garbed  in  Roman  style; 
on  the  tunic  may  be  seen  a  decorative  plaque.  The  king's 
right  hand  holds  a  lance  which  rests  on  his  shoulder,  as 
may  be  observed  in  the  imperial  medals  of  Constan- 
tine  II,  Theodosius  II,  and  their  successors.  The  legend, 
in  the  genitive  case,  Childerici  Regis,  presupposes  the 

"Anastasis  Childerici  I  Francorum  regis,  sive  Thesaurus 
sepulchralis  Tornaci  Nerviorum  effossus  et  commentario  illus- 
tratus,"  Antverpis,  ex  officina  Plantaniana  Balthazaris  Moreti, 
1655.  This  is  a  quarto  of  367  pages,  with  27  plates  and  copper- 
plate engravings. 


140 


RINGS 


word  signum  or  sigillumj,  as  the  ring  was  unquestionably 
a  signet.  M.  Deloche  considers  it  probable  that  it  was 
made  on  the  occasion  of  Childeric's  marriage  with  Basnia, 
Queen  of  Thuringia,  who  had  abandoned  her  native  land 
and  her  husband  to  wed  the  Frankish  sovereign.  Clovis  I 
(481-511)  was  the  offspring  of  this  union.  Although 
the  original  has  been  lost  there  has  fortunately  been 
preserved  an  imprint  from  it  on  the  margin  of  a  manu- 
script in  the  Bibliotheque  de  Sainte  Genevieve;  of  the 
entire  ring  there  is  the  carefully  executed  drawing  made 
for  Chifflet's  work.'^ 

In  many  cases  the  Carolingian  monarchs  rendered 
their  signets,  set  with  antique  gems,  significant  of  their 
own  personality  by  having  their  names  engraved  around 
the  setting.  In  this  way  Carloman  (741-747)  utilized 
an  antique  gem  showing  a  female  bust  with  hair  tied  in  a 
knot,  while  Charlemagne's  choice  was  a  gem  engraved 
with  the  head  of  Marcus  Aurelius;  at  a  later  time  he 
substituted  for  this  one  bearing  the  head  of  the  Alex- 
andrian god  Serapis.  It  is  noteworthy  that  there  is  a 
great  likeness  between  the  portraits  of  Antoninus  Pius 
and  the  type  chosen  for  Serapis.  Louis  I,  le  Debonnaire 
(814-840),  selected  a  portrait  of  Antoninus  Pius,  and 
his  son,  Lothaire,  Roman  emperor,  840-855  a.d.,  a  gem 
with  Caracalla's  head,  the  choice  being  no  inappropriate 
one  in  view  of  Lothaire's  weak  and  treacherous  char- 
acter. Rev.  C.  W.  King  conjectures  that  the  selection 
of  the  particular  head  may  have  depended  upon  its  resem- 
blance, more  or  less  close,  to  the  features  of  the  monarch, 
as  even  though  the  likeness  should  not  be  very  exact, 
the  work  would  surpass  anything  that  the  unskilful  gem- 
cutters  of  this  age  could  produce.^^ 

^2  Deloche  "  Anneaux  Sigillaires,"  Paris,  1900,  pp.  192,  193. 
53  C.  W.  King,  "  On  the  Use  of  Antique  Gems  in  the  Middle 
Ages." 


SIGNET  RINGS 


141 


Of  the  seal  of  the  Prophet  Mohammed,  we  are  told 
by  Ibn  Kaldoun  that  when  he  was  about  to  send  a  letter 
to  the  Emperor  Heraclius,  his  attention  was  called  to 
the  fact  that  no  letter  would  be  received  by  a  foreign 
potentate  unless  it  bore  the  impression  of  the  Prophet's 
seal.  Mohammed  therefore  had  a  seal  made  of  silver, 
bearing  the  inscription  ''Mohammed  rasul  Allah/'  "  Mo- 
hammed the  Apostle  of  God  " ;  these  three  words,  accord- 
ing to  Al-Bokhari,  were  disposed  in  three  lines.  The 
Prophet  made  use  of  this  seal  and  forbade  the  making 
of  any  one  like  it.  After  his  death  it  was  employed  by 
his  successors,  Abu  Bekr,  Omar  and  Othman,  but  the 
last-named  unluckily  let  it  fall  from  his  hand  into  the 
well  of  Aris,  whose  depth  it  had  never  been  possible  to 
measure.  A  duplicate  was  executed  to  replace  the 
original,  but  its  loss  was  greatly  deplored,  and  was  looked 
upon  as  a  possible  presage  of  ill-fortune.^^  The  title 
inscribed  upon  it  was  prouder  in  its  simplicity  than  that 
assumed  by  any  other  ruler,  not  excepting  those  who 
claimed  for  themselves  a  divine  ancestry,  or  divine  at- 
tributes. These  could  at  most  pretend  to  rank  as  divin- 
ities of  a  lower  order,  while  Mohammed  claimed  to  be 
the  mouthpiece  of  the  one  and  only  God. 

Burton  writes  that  it  is  "  a  tradition  of  the  Prophet  " 
that  the  carnelian  is  the  best  stone  for  a  signet  ring,  and 
this  is  still  the  usage  among  Mohammedans  in  the  Orient. 
In  the  Arabian  tale  entitled  "  History  of  Al  Haj  jaj  ben 
Yusuf  and  the  Young  Sayyed,"  we  read  that  the  signet 
should  be  of  carnelian  because  the  stone  was  a  guard 
against  poverty. 

54  «  Prolegomenes  Historiques,"  of  Ibn.  Kaldoun,  in  Notices 
et  Extraits  des  Manuscripts  de  la  Bibliotheque  Imperiale,  vol. 
XX,  pt.  i,  pp.  61-62,  Paris,  1865. 

55  Burton,  "  Supplementary  Nights,''  1868,  vol.  v,  p.  52, 


142 


RINGS 


Some  Arabic  signets  bore  peculiarly  apt  inscriptions. 
One  of  these  reads:  "Correspondence  is  only  a  half- 
joy,"  a  delicate  piece  of  flattery  for  the  recipient  of  a 
letter  bearing  this  seal.  Another  signet  gives  the  follow- 
ing very  necessary  warning  to  the  person  to  whom  the 
letter  is  addressed,  should  it  happen  to  contain  something 
which  ought  not  to  be  revealed.  "  If  more  than  two  know 
it,  the  secret  is  out."  Such  inscriptions  are  certainly 
more  significant  than  a  motto  of  less  special  meaning. 

In  an  essay  on  Arabic  signets,  Hammer-Purgstall  ^'^ 
calls  attention  to  a  fundamental  distinction  between  talis- 
mans and  signets.  With  the  former,  the  inscription  is 
engraved  so  that  it  may  be  read  as  it  stands,  while  with 
the  latter  the  characters  are  reversed  so  that  only  the 
impression  gives  them  in  their  proper  order.  Besides 
this,  the  talismans  rarely  contain  the  wearer's  name,  which 
is  the  most  essential  part  of  the  signet.  Nevertheless, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  in  many  cases  the  signet 
was  at  the  same  time  a  talisman. 

That  lovers — even  Mohammedan  lovers — in  the 
seventeenth  century,  had  romantic  designs  engraved 
upon  seal  rings,  is  illustrated  by  what  Garzoni  relates 
concerning  the  seal  ring  of  "  Mahometh  Bassa."  This 
bore  the  figure  of  a  silk- worm  upon  a  mulberry  leaf, 
the  design  commemorating  the  wearer's  love  for  a 
Moorish  girl,  and  signifying  that  he  drew  his  life  from 
her  as  did  the  silk- worm  from  the  leaf.^^ 

56.  Hammer-Purgstall,  "  Abhandlung  iiber  die  Siegel  der 
Araber,  Persen  und  Tiirken,"  Denkschriften  der  Kaiserl.  Akad. 
der  Wissenschaften,  Phil.-Hist.  Kl.,  Wien,  1850,  p.  29. 

57  Ibid.,  p.  1. 

58  Garzoni,  "  Piazza  Universale,"  German  transl.,  Franck- 
furt  am  Main,  1641,  p.  697. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


143 


Tavernier  relates  that  in  his  time,  the  last  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  the  secret  treasure  of  the  Sultans 
in  Constantinople  was  guarded  in  an  innermost  treasure- 
chamber  of  the  Serail.  This  chamber  was  only  opened 
at  intervals  to  receive  the  surplus  gold  that  had  been 
collected  from  the  Empire  or  received  in  any  way,  when 
the  total  sum  had  reached  18,000,000  livres  (over  $7,000, 
000  according  to  the  value  of  the  livre  in  Tavernier's 
day).  The  gold  was  contained  in  sacks,  each  of  which 
held  15,000  ducats.  When  an  addition  to  the  treasure 
was  to  be  deposited,  the  Sultan  himself  led  the  way  to 
the  treasure-chamber  and  stamped  his  seal,  with  his  own 
hand,  on  red  wax  spread  over  the  knot  of  the  cord  with 
which  the  sack  was  secured.  This  seal  was  engraved 
on  the  bezel  of  a  gold  ring  and  constituted  no  design, 
but  simply  the  name  of  the  reigning  sovereign,  the 
characters  being  probably  intricately  combined  in  the 
elaborate  and  cryptic  manner  used  in  the  case  of  the 
imperial  name  and  titles.^^ 

A  Byzantine  signet  ring  of  the  sixth  or  seventh  cen- 
tury of  our  era,  in  the  British  Museum,  shows  the  head 
of  Christ,  beneath  which  bending  figures  of  two  angels 
in  profound  adoration  are  depicted.  Angel-figures 
almost  exactly  similar  may  be  seen  in  Byzantine  ivory 
carvings  of  this  later  period,  the  type  evidently  being 
one  of  those  rigidly  defined  in  the  hieratic  art  of  the 
school.  With  this  ring  were  found  coins  of  Heraclius 
(610-641),  the  Greek  emperor  in  whose  reign  fell  the 
death  of  Mohammed  (June  8,  632)  and  the  overthrow  of 
the  Sassanian  Persian  monarchy  by  the  Mohammedans.^^ 

59  Jean  Baptiste  Tavernier,  "Relation  du  Serrail,"  Paris, 
1702,  pp.  480,  481. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Byzantine  Art  and  Archasology,"  Oxford, 
1911,  p.  540;  figs.  319,  320  on  p.  537. 


144 


RINGS 


How  important  the  possession  of  a  royal  seal-ring 
was  considered  to  be,  as  proving  the  title  of  a  successor, 
appears  in  the  story  that  at  the  death-bed  of  Alexius 
Comnenus  (1084-1118),  Emperor  of  the  East,  when 
the  son  and  rightful  successor,  John  Comnenus,  per- 
ceived that  his  mother  Irene  was  working  to  exclude  him 
from  the  throne  and  to  seat  thereon  his  blue-stocking 
sister  Anna,  he  took  off  the  imperial  ring  from  the  hand 
of  his  dying  father  and  thus  ensured  for  himself  the  title 
to  the  Eastern  Empire.^^ 

Saint  Bernard  of  Clairvaux  (1091-1153) ,  the  enthu- 
siastic preacher  of  the  Second  Crusade  in  1147,  excuses 
himself  in  some  of  his  letters  that  he  has  failed  to  seal 
them,  because  he  could  not  lay  his  hand  on  his  signet. 
In  a  letter  to  Pope  Eugene  III,  the  saint  complains 
that  several  spurious  letters  bearing  his  name  have  been 
circulated,  sealed  with  a  counterfeit  seal ;  he  also  notifies 
the  pontiff  that  from  this  time  his  letters  will  bear  a  new 
seal,  on  which  will  be  his  portrait  and  his  name.^^ 

Well-to-do  merchants  of  medieval  times,  not  en- 
titled to  armorial  bearings,  often  had  special  individual 
marks  or  symbols  engraved  upon  their  signets.  This 
custom  obtained  on  the  continent  as  well  as  in  England, 
and  allusion  is  made  in  the  Old  English  poem  of  the 
fourteenth  century,  "  Piers  Plowman,"  to  "  merchantes 
merkes  ymedeled  in  glasse."  Probably  emblems  of 
this  kind  came  to  have  a  certain  association  with  the 

Nicetas,  "  Histoire  de  I'Empire  Grec,  Regne  de  John 
Comnenus,"  Paris,  1693,  p.  7. 

^2  P.  J.  Mariette,  "  Xraite  des  pierres  gravees,"  Paris,  1750, 
vol.  i,  p.  21. 

^3  "  Catalogue  of  the  Special  Exhibition  of  Works  of  Art  at 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,"  section  32, 
"  Rings,"  by  Edmund  Waterton,  p.  622. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


145 


business  which  in  many  cases  descended  from  father  to 
son  through  a  number  of  generations. 

A  royal  signet  ring  once  believed  to  be  that  of  Saint 
Louis  (Louis  IX,  1214-1270)  and  long  preserved  in 
the  treasury  of  St.  Denis,  as  an  object  of  reverent  care, 
is  now  in  the  Louvre  Museum.  The  fact  that  the  cres- 
cent is  introduced  as  a  symbol  fails  to  connect  the  ring 
with  the  Crusader  St.  Louis,  as  this  symbol  was  not 
used  by  the  Saracens  of  his  time,  but  was  only  adopted 
as  a  Mohammedan  device  after  the  Turks  captured  Con- 
stantinople, the  crescent  having  been  a  recognised  symbol 
in  ancient  times  in  Byzantium  long  before  the  city  came 
to  be  called  Constantinople.^^ 

The  engraved  stone  in  the  ring  is  a  table-cut 
sapphire,  the  monarch  being  figured  standing,  with  a 
nimbus  around  his  head ;  he  is  crowned  and  bears  a  scep- 
tre. The  letters  S  L  on  the  stone  have  been  interpreted 
to  mean  rather  sigillum  Ludovici  than  Sanctus  Ludo- 
vicuSy  and  one  critic  suggests  the  possibility  that  it  may 
have  been  executed  in  Constantinople,  in  Byzantine 
times,  for  Louis  VII,  who  was  there  in  1147,  and  was 
received  with  high  honors  by  Manuel  Comnenus,  the 
Greek  emperor's  courtesy  being  rather  bred  of  fear  of 
French  aggression  than  of  affection  for  the  French 
crusader.  As  we  have  good  evidence  that  gem-cutting 
was  not  practised  at  this  time  in  France,  it  seems  plaus- 
ible enough  that  Louis  VII  should  have  availed  himself 
of  this  opportunity  to  have  a  signet  engraved  for  him 
by  a  Greek  gem-cutter.^ ^ 

6^  C.  W.  King,  "  Antique  Gems  and  Rings,"  London,  1872, 
p.  899. 

Jules  Labarte,  "Dissertation  sur  Pabandon  de  la  glyptique 
en  Occident  au  Moyen  Age  et  sur  I'epoque  de  la  renaissance  de 
cet  art,"  Paris,  1871,  pp,  lS-18. 

10 


146 


RINGS 


The  signet  ring  of  King  Charles  V  of  France  (1337- 
1380)  was  set  with  an  Oriental  ruby  on  which  was  en- 
graved "  the  bearded  head  of  a  king."  This  signet  was 
used  by  King  Charles  to  seal  the  letters  written  by  his 
own  hand.  The  somewhat  vague  description  in  the  in- 
ventory suggests  that  this  may  have  been  an  antique 
gem,  the  supposedly  royal  head  bein^  that  of  some 
Greek  divinity.  The  art  of  engraving  on  such  hard 
stones  as  the  ruby  does  not  seem  to  have  been  practised 
in  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth  centuries,  the  revival  of 
this  art  belonging  to  a  later  period.  Evidently  the  head 
was  not  that  of  Charles  himself  or  of  any  of  his  predeces- 
sors, for,  had  this  been  the  case  the  inventory  would 
hardly  fail  to  note  the  fact.^^ 

When  a  certain  Bratilos  was  sent  as  a  messenger  by 
the  eastern  emperor  Cantacuzene  (1341-1355)  to  his 
empress  Irene,  to  announce  the  outbreak  of  a  dangerous 
revolt,  he  bore  a  sealed  letter  from  the  emperor.^^  While 
on  his  journey,  however,  he  began  to  fear  that  he  might 
be  waylaid  and  robbed  of  the  important  document.  This 
peril  he  efF ectively  provided  against  by  memorizing  the 
letter  and  then  destroying  it,  after  he  had  removed  the 
wax  impression  of  the  imperial  signet,  which  he  could 
safely  guard  in  his  mouth,  and  which  served  to  accredit 
him  when  he  came  before  the  empress.^^  Not  long  after- 
ward Cantacuzene  was  defeated  and  deposed  by  J ohn  V, 
Palseologus,  and  retired  to  a  monastery,  where  he  lived 
until  1411,  composing  a  history  of  his  own  times  in  his 
leisure  moments;  his  wife  also  took  the  religious  vows 
under  the  name  of  Eugenia.  

Labarte,  "  Inventaire  du  mobilier  de  Charles  V,"  Paris, 
1879,  p.  86,  No.  555. 

^'^  Joannis  Cantacuzeni,  "  Historiae,"  vol.  i,  lib.  iii,  cap.  xlvii. 
Migne's  Patrologia  Grseca,  vol.  cliii,  Paris,  1866. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


147 


Much  has  been  written  about  the  ring  or  rather  the 
engrave  seal  of  Michaelangelo.  This  gem  enjoyed  such 
high  esteem  that  it  was  very  often  copied,  the  copies 
sometimes  acquiring  the  repute  of  being  originals.  Four 
of  them,  two  in  paste,  one  in  amethyst,  and  one  in 
carnelian,  exist  in  Denmark,  the  two  latter  having  the 
dimensions  of  the  original  gem.  The  copy  in  carnelian — 
the  stone  in  which  the  original  was  cut — is  exceptionally 
well  executed.^^  The  original  seal  is  now  in  the  Biblio- 
theque  Nationale  in  Paris  and  came  into  the  possession 
of  Louis  XIV  in  1680.   The  king  wore  it  set  in  a  ring. 

It  was  brought  to  France  in  1600  by  a  Sieur  Bigarris, 
director  of  the  Mint,  and  its  history  was  at  the  time 
traced  back  to  Agosto  Tassi,  goldsmith  in  Bologna,  to 
whom  Michelangelo  had  bequeathed  it.  The  gem  was 
the  work  of  Pier  Maria  di  Pescia,  and  bears  his  symbolic 
signature,  a  boy  fishing  {pescia^  fishing).  The  di- 
mensions are  given  as  15  mm.  by  11  mm.,  the  form  being 
oval,  and  in  this  restricted  space  is  a  design  embracing 
twelve  human  figures,  two  genii,  a  horse,  a  goat  and  a 
tree.  Two  of  the  figures  appear  to  have  been  copied 
from  a  detail  of  Michelangelo's  Sistine  Chapel  frescoes: 
a  woman  helping  another  woman  to  place  a  basket  of 
grapes  upon  her  head.  Watelet  and  Levesque  in  their 
"Dictionnaire  des  Arts/''  published  in  1791,  characterize 
this  seal  as  "  the  most  beautiful  engraved  gem  known." 

The  Royal  Collection  at  Windsor  Castle  contains  a 
gold  ring  set  with  a  cameo  portrait  of  Louis  XII,  of 
France  (1498-1515),  cut  in  a  pale  ruby  of  clear  lustre. 
The  work  is  believed  to  have  been  executed  during  the 
lifetime  of  the  king,  and  was  considered  by  Rev.  C.  W. 
King  to  be  the  earliest  Renaissance  portrait  cut  on  a 

Emil  Hannover  in  "  Politikon  "  Kjobenhavn,  April  10, 

1911. 


148 


RINGS 


stone  of  the  hardness  of  a  ruby.  He  regarded  it  as  a 
work  of  the  famous  Renaissance  gem-cutter  Domenico 
dei  Camei,  this  artist  having  engraved  a  portrait  of  the 
Milanese  duke  Ludovico  Sforza,  surnamed  II  Moro,  on 
the  same  hard  material.  The  gold  plate  at  the  back  of 
the  bezel  holding  the  gem  bears  the  inscription  "  Loys 
XII""^  Roy  de  France  deceda  I  Janvier,  1515,"  the  stone 
having  been  set  in  the  ring  at  some  time  after  the 
monarch's  death. 

This  collection  also  contains  an  imperfect  specimen 
of  a  squirt-ring.  The  hoop  is  of  enamelled  gold  set  with 
a  garnet  engraved  in  relief  with  a  mask  or  bacchie  head 
finely  executed  by  a  sixteenth-century  artist.  The  hole 
at  the  base  of  the  hoop,  with  its  internal  screw-worm, 
indicates  that  it  was  once  provided  with  a  squirt  for 
projecting  perfumed  liquids. 

A  sixteenth-century  portrait  by  the  German  painter, 
Conrad  Faber,  depicts  a  well-to-do  burgher,  possibly  a 
burgomaster,  who  wears  a  seal  ring  on  the  index  finger  of 
his  left  hand  and  a  ring  with  a  precious  stone  setting  on 
the  fourth  finger  of  the  same  hand.  In  this  hand  he  holds 
something  which  may  be  a  staff  of  office ;  it  is  surmounted 
by  an  octagonal  block  of  ebony  in  which  is  inlaid  a 
medallion  figuring  St.  George  and  the  Dragon.  The 
city,  as  carefully  delineated  in  the  background  as  in  the 
finest  of  engravings,  appears  to  be  one  of  the  historic 
Khine  cities,  and  is  evidently  that  with  which  the  sitter 
was  identified. 

For  signet  rings,  antique  gems  continued  to  be  those 

'^^  C.  Drury  Fortnum,  "  Notes  On  Some  of  the  Antique  and 
Renaissance  Gems  and  Jewels  in  Her  Majesty's  Collection  at 
Windsor  Castle,"  London,  1876,  pp.  12,  13;  cut  double  linear 
size  on  p.  13. 

■^i/M.,  p.  15. 


IT     B  2 

c  crq 

O  Co 


-m  W  O 

o  M  :z: 

CTQ  h-^ 

p  H 

D  w 


MAN  AND  WOMAN  AT  A  CASEMENT 
The  woman  wears  three  rings  (sapphire,  ruby  and  some  other  stone)  on  the  index  of 
right  hand,  and  two  on  the  middle  finger  of  this  hand,  one  of  them  on  the  second  joint.  The 
young  man  has  a  large  oval  topaz  on  the  little  finger  of  his  left  hand.    Florentine,  Fifteenth 
Century 

Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York 


SIGNET  RINGS 


149 


most  favored  until  the  Renaissance  period,  and  even  to  a 
considerable  extent  during  this  period.  However,  the 
development  and  elaboration  of  the  science  of  heraldry 
and  the  great  importance  accorded  to  the  possession  of 
armorial  bearings  soon  induced  the  engraving  of  these 
upon  the  signets,  in  preference  to  using  antique  gems  or 
copying  their  types.  In  Elizabeth's  reign  and  in  those 
of  her  immediate  successors,  it  is  believed  that  scarcely 
a  gentleman  was  to  be  found  who  did  not  own  and  wear 
a  signet  ring  on  which  appeared  his  coat-of-arms.  Those 
not  fortunate  enough  to  have  the  right  to  display  armorial 
bearings,  sometimes  sought  to  make  their  signets  in- 
dividual by  using  as  designs  rebuses  expressing  more  or 
less  well  the  pronunciation  of  their  names.'^^ 

Arms  were  sometimes  blazoned  on  rings  by  enamel 
applied  to  the  base  of  a  setting;  thus  the  arms  engraved 
on  a  rock-crystal  or  a  white  sapphire,  would  appear  with 
their  proper  hues,  the  colors  showing  through  the  trans- 
parent stone,  and  their  effect  being  heightened  by  the 
brilliant  medium.  A  fine  example  of  this  kind  of  ring  is 
one  made  for  Jean  Sans-Peur,  Duke  of  Burgundy 
(1401-1419)  ;  another  is  the  signet  ring  of  Mary,  Queen 
of  Scots,  now  in  the  British  Museum. 

Bequests  of  signets  to  near  relatives  occur  not  in- 
frequently in  wills  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  cen- 
turies, as  for  example  in  that  of  John  Horton,  dated 
1565,  wherein  appears  the  following:  "  Item,  I  give  unto 
my  brother  Anthony  Horton,  for  a  token,  my  golde 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later  (British  Museum),"  London,  1912,  p.  xxxi. 

"  Catalogue  of  the  Special  Exhibition  of  Works  of  Art  at 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,"  section  32, 
"  Rings,"  by  Edmund  Waterton,  p.  623. 


150 


RINGS 


ringe  w*^  the  seale  of  myne  armes,  desirenge  him  to  be 
good  to  my  wiffe  and  my  childringe  as  my  trust  is  in 
him."  Besides  this  seal  ring,  the  testator  willed  "  a  golde 
ringe  w*^  a  turkes  [turquoise]  in  it "  to  his  "  singular 
good  Lord  the  Lord  Eueerye,"  with  a  plea  for  friendship 
toward  his  wife  and  children.  A  ring  set  with  a  diamond 
was  bequeathed  in  1427  by  Elizabeth,  Lady  Fitzhugh  to 
her  son  William.'^*  This  was  almost  certainly  one  of  the 
uncut,  pointed  diamonds  used  for  settings  at  this  early 
time. 

The  signet  ring  of  Mary  Stuart  is  one  of  the  chief 
treasures  in  the  ring  collection  of  the  British  Museum. 
It  was  made  for  her  use  after  her  betrothal  to  the  French 
Dauphin,  later,  for  a  few  months,  King  of  France  as 
Francis  II  (1543-1560),  just  before  her  marriage,  as 
after  that  time  the  arms  of  France  would  have  been 
combined  with  those  of  Scotland.  The  following  descrip- 
tion is  given  of  this  ring  in  the  exceedingly  valuable 
catalogue  of  the  Franks  Bequest  by  O.  M.  Dalton 

316.  Gold ;  the  shoulders  ornamented  with  flowers  and  leaves 
once  enamelled;  oval  bezel  containing  a  chalcedony  engraved 
with  the  achievement  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  The  shield  is 
that  of  Scotland  surrounded  by  the  collar  of  the  Thistle,  with 
the  badge,  and  supported  by  two  unicorns  chained  and  ducally 
gorged ;  the  crest,  on  a  helmet  with  mantlings  and  ensigned  with 
a  crown,  is  a  lion  sejant  affronte,  crowned  and  holding  in  the 
dexter  paw  a  naked  sword ;  in  the  sinister  a  sceptre,  both  bend- 

'^^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and  Later,  bequeathed 
by  Sir  Augustus  Wollaston  Franks,  K.C.B.  (British  Museum)," 
London,  1912,  p.  li,  footnote. 

'^^  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and  Later  (British 
Museum),  London,  1912,  p.  53. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


151 


wise.  Legend:  In  DefenSy  and  the  letters  M  R.  On  the  dexter 
side  is  a  banner  with  the  arms  of  Scotland ;  on  the  sinister  side, 
another,  with  three  bars  and  over  all  a  saltire.  The  metals 
and  tinctures  appear  through  the  crystal  on  a  field  of  blue. 
Within  the  hoop  at  the  back  of  the  bezel  is  engraved  a  cipher  in 
a  circular  band  and  surmounted  by  a  crown,  once  enamelled. 
The  cipher  is  formed  of  the  Greek  letter  </>  and  M,  for  the  names 
Francis  and  Mary. 

In  this  example  of  sixteenth-century  French  gold- 
smithing,  the  colors  of  the  arms  have  been  applied  be- 
neath the  crystal  so  that  they  would  not  be  effaced  in 
using  the  signet  for  sealing.  In  1792  this  ring  was  in 
the  possession  of  Queen  Charlotte,  wife  of  George  III. 
After  her  death  it  became  the  property  of  the  Duke  of 
York,  and  when  his  plate  and  jewels  were  sold  at 
Christie's,  in  London,  March,  1827,  it  was  bought  by 
Mr.  Richard  Greene,  F.S.A.,  and  was  acquired  from 
him  in  1856  by  the  British  Museum. 

A  signet  ring  believed  by  many  to  be  that  of  the 
immortal  Shakespeare,  was  found  on  March  16,  1810. 
It  was  picked  up  on  the  surface  of  the  mill-close  that 
adjoins  Stratford  churchyard;  the  finder  was  the  wife  of 
a  poor  laborer.  How  lightly  it  was  esteemed  at  the  out- 
set is  shown  by  the  low  price  at  which  it  was  acquired 
by  Mr.  R.  B.  Wheeler,  who  paid  only  thirty-six  shillings 
($9.00) ,  considered  to  be  the  value  of  the  fifteen  penny- 
weights of  gold  in  the  ring.  In  fact,  the  only  circum- 
stances seeming  to  connect  it  with  Shakespeare  are  the 
initials  W.  S.,  and  the  facts  that  the  ring  appears  to  be 
of  Elizabethan  workmanship  and  that  it  was  found  at 
Stratford-on-Avon,  Shakespeare's  home.'^^  The  initial 

'^^  See  also  Catalogue  of  the  Books,  Manuscripts,  Works  of 
Art  and  Relics,  at  present  exhibited  in  Shakespeare's  Birth- 
place, with  61  illustrations,  Stratford-upon-Avon,  1910. 


152 


RINGS 


letters  are  bound  together  with  a  design  composed  of  an 
ornamental  band  with  tassels,  so  arranged  as  to  outline 
a  heart.  A  queer  coincidence,  if  the  report  be  true,  is 
that  a  certain  William  Shakespeare  was  at  work  nearby 
when  the  ring  was  foundJ^ 

One  of  the  somewhat  less  well-known  Shakespeare 
portraits  depicts  the  poet  wearing  a  thumb  ring  on  his  left 
hand.  This  is  the  work  of  Gerald  Soest,  who  was  born 
twenty-one  years  after  Shakespeare's  death ;  its  inspira- 
tion is  probably  to  be  sought  in  the  Chandos  portrait  of 
which  it  is  an  amplification  and  re-arrangement.  The 
face,  however,  wholly  lacks  the  dignity  and  expression 
of  the  Chandos,  being  exceedingly  weak  and  common- 
place. The  hands  give  the  eff  ect  of  having  been  copied 
from  those  in  some  other  portrait,  and,  of  course,  under 
all  these  circumstances  we  would  scarcely  be  justified  in 
assuming  that  Shakespeare  wore  a  thumb  ring,  although 
he  may  well  have  done  so,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
fashion  was  common  enough  in  his  time.  Queen  Eliza- 
beth, even,  is  depicted  as  wearing  one  in  Zucchero's  por- 
trait of  her  at  (Hampton  Court."^^ 

Another  English  poet,  that  master  of  impassioned 
verse,  Byron,  had  in  his  possession  a  most  interesting 
bloodstone  signet  ring,  engraved  with  the  following  three 
family  mottoes:  "Tout  prest "  (Quite  ready),  motto 
of  the  families  Monk,  Murray  and  Younger;  "  Confido, 
conquiesco  "  (I  trust  and  am  contented),  motto  of  the 
Dysart,  Hodgett,  Maroy,  Tollmache  and  Turner  fam- 
ilies; "Pour  y  parvenir"  (In  order  to  accomplish,  or 

Halliwell,  "  Life  of  William  Shakespeare,"  London,  1848, 
p.  834f. 

'^^  "  Catalogue  of  an  Exhibition  Illustrative  of  the  Text  of 
Shakespeare's  Plays,"  New  York,  The  Grolier  Club,  1916, 
plate  opposite  p.  96,  from  a  mezzotint  by  G.  F.  Storm,  1847. 


C.  GtUstoodL 


1,  Shakespeare's  gold  signet  ring,  found  in  Stratford-upon-Avon,  March  16,  1810.  2,  brass  signet  sup- 
posed to  be  that  of  the  physician,  John  Hall,  Shakespeare's  son-in-law.  3,  wax  impression  from  Shakes- 
peare's ring.  (Photographed  expressly  for  this  book  as  attested  by  signatures  of  Sir  Sidney  Lee,  Chair- 
man of  the  Executive  Committee  of  "Shakespeare's  Birthplace,"  and  of  the  Librarian,  F.  C.  Wellstood."> 
4  and  5,  gold  signet  ring  owned  by  Lord  Byron,  with  impression  from  it.  The  seal  shows  the  crests  and 
mottoes  of  three  families.  Photographed  for  this  book.  In  the  possession  of  Judge  Peter  T.  Barlow, 
New  York 


Z\yc  ZvwBtccB  &  (Buarbians  of  Sbakeepeare^a  Birtbplace. 

Incorporated  by  Act  of  54  and  55  Vfct.,  cap.  iii.,  1891. 


SIR    SIDNEY  LEE, 

D.LITT.,LL.D., 

Chairman  of  Executive  Committee. 
F.  C.   WELLSTOOD,  M.A., 
Secretary  and  Librarian. 


Telephone  48. 

SHAKESPEARE'S  BIRTHPLACE, 

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. 

 /J>'  UiA/mit  191/ 


Qu^^  P. 


M^f-JX.  tSL^'tU^  CK^^  ^^^^ys,A^oL  'e4>c/»%, 
c/.^/-tesxv  <r»v       <^      SL^€^  Ji^^^      sCj^iJh  aX^j 


SIGNET  RINGS 


153 


succeed),  motto  of  the  families  Manners  and  Manners- 
Sutton.  This  ring  was  owned  by  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and 
at  the  dispersal  sale  of  his  personal  effects  at  Abbots- 
ford  it  was  acquired  by  the  late  Samuel  Latham  Mitchell 
Barlow,  the  great  art  connoisseur  and  collector,  by  whose 
son,  Judge  Peter  T.  Barlow,  of  New  York,  it  has  been 
inherited,  in  whose  possession  it  now  is,  and  through 
whose  courtesy  it  is  here  reproduced. 

Many  interesting  facts  in  regard  to  the  history  of 
the  diamond  engraved  for  Queen  Henrietta  Maria,  wife 
of  Charles  I,  have  been  presented  by  Mr.  C.  Drury 
Fortnum,  who  purchased  the  diamond  from  the  collec- 
tion of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  in  18797^  In  the  cata- 
logue of  the  Duke's  collection  this  stone  is  described  as 
the  signet  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  an  attribution  which 
had  been  current  for  many  years ;  but  Mr.  Fortnum  has 
shown  that  the  initials  on  the  diamond  should  be  read 
MR,  the  cross-bar  in  the  first  character  representing 
the  letter  H,  and  the  whole  signifying  Maria  Henrietta 
Regina. 

Fortunately  we  have  the  original  of  the  treasury 
order  given  by  Charles  I,  under  date  of  January  16, 
1629,  directing  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money  to  the 
engraver  for  his  work.  As  this  is  probably  the  only 
case  in  which  the  original  record  of  payment  for  engrav- 
ing an  historical  diamond  has  been  preserved,  it  is  repro- 
duced here  from  Mr.  Fortnum's  paper  in  Archseologia.^^ 

Charles  by  the  grace  of  God  King  of  England,  Scotland, 
France,  and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  &c. 

'^^  See  Archaeologia,  vol.  xlvii,  393,  and  vol.  1,  p.  114. 

Vol.  xlvii,  London,  1883,  p.  393.  The  original  document 
is  in  the  privy  seal  books  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Pells,  now  in  the 
Public  Record  Office,  No.  11,  p.  142. 


154 


RINGS 


To  the  Trer  and  Undertrer  of  o''  Exchecq""  for  the  time  being 
greeting  : 

Wee  doe  hereby  will  and  comand  yo"  out  of  o'"  treasure 
remaining  in  the  Receipt  of  o"*  Exchecq""  forthwith  to  pay  or 
cause  to  be  paid  unto  Francis  Walwyn  or  his  assignes  the  some 
of  two  hundred  three-score  and  seven  pounds  for  engraving, 
polishing,  Dyamond  boart  and  divers  other  materialls  for  the 
Cutting  and  furnishing  of  o^  Armes  in  a  Dyamond  with  I'res 
of  the  name  of  o^  deerest  Consort  the  queene  on  each  side.  And 
these  o^  I'res  shal  be  yo^  sufficient  warr^  and  discharge  in  this 
behalf  e. 

Given  under  o""  privy  Seal  att  o'"  pallace  of  Westm*"  the 
sixteenth  day  of  January  in  the  fourth  yeare  of  o^  Raigne. 

Jo:  Packer. 

As  a  general  rule  a  signet  ring  was  one  of  the  last 
objects  of  value  that  an  owner  would  part  with,  but  we 
know  that  after  Charles'  execution  Henrietta  Maria 
was  reduced  to  dire  straits  and  was  obliged  to  sell  all  her 
possessions  in  order  to  procure  the  bare  necessaries  of  life. 
In  Tavernier's  account  of  his  travels  in  the  East  he  states 
that  in  1664,  he  showed  to  the  representative  of  the  Shah 
of  Persia  a  ring  engraved  with  the  royal  arms  of  Eng- 
land, and  which  had  belonged  "  to  the  late  King  of  Eng- 
land." As  letters  and  papers  have  been  preserved,  dating 
from  1656  to  1673,  and  sealed  by  Charles  II  with  the 
diamond  signet  used  by  his  father,  we  have  proof  that 
Charles  II  had  that  signet  in  his  possession  in  1664,  and 
Mr.  Fortnum's  conjecture  that  the  engraved  diamond  in 
Tavernier's  hands  was  that  of  Henrietta  Maria  is  plausi- 
ble enough. 

The  Shah  of  Persia  sent  the  diamond  back  to 
Tavernier,  requesting  information  as  to  what  was  en- 
graved upon  it,  but  the  French  jeweller,  fearing  pos- 
sible complications,  did  not  venture  to  go  beyond  the 


SIGNET  RINGS 


155 


vague  statement  that  the  stone  bore  the  arms  of  a 
"  European  prince."  The  Shah  does  not  appear  to  have 
bought  this  diamond ;  probably  he  did  not  care  much  for 
historic  souvenirs  of  European  royalties,  and  possibly 
he  doubted  whether  Tavernier  had  the  right  to  offer  for 
sale  what  might  be  the  signet  of  a  European  monarch. 
However,  the  Shah's  minister  did  not  fail  to  express  his 
admiration  of  the  skill  shown  by  the  "  Franks  "  in  the 
art  of  diamond-engraving.^^ 

Already,  in  the  Vetusta  Monumenta  of  Astle,  pub- 
lished by  him  in  1792,  the  seal  is  figured  as  that  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots,  and  is  said  to  have  been  in  the  pos- 
session of  Louis  XIV.  If  this  statement  be  correct,  the 
signet  might  have  been  among  the  diamonds  sold  by 
Tavernier  to  Louis  XIV,  on  the  former's  return  to 
Europe.  It  seems  to  have  shared  the  fate  of  a  large 
number  of  the  jewels  belonging  to  the  French  crown 
and  to  the  royal  family,  and  next  appears  in  a  sale  held 
in  London  June  19,  1817,  being  described  in  the  cata- 
logue as  "  the  engraved  diamond  ring  of  Mary,  Queen 
of  Scots,  upon  which  are  engraved  the  arms  of  Eng- 
land, Scotland  and  Ireland,  quartered,"  and  authen- 
ticated by  a  communication  from  "  that  correct  and 
learned  antiquary  the  late  Robert  Gough,  Esq."  to  the 
following  effect: 

That  it  descended  from  Mary  to  her  grandchild  Charles  I, 
who  gave  it  on  the  scaffold  to  Arch  Bishop  Juxon  for  his  son 
Charles  II,  who  in  his  troubles  pawned  it  in  Holland  for  £300, 
where  it  was  bought  by  Governor  Yale  and  sold  at  his  sale  for 
£320,  supposed  for  the  Pretender.  Afterwards  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Earl  of  Hay,  Duke  of  Argyle,  and  probably 
from  him  to  Mr.  Blashford. 

®^  "  Les  six  voyages  de  Jean  Bapiste  Tavernier,"  La  Haye, 
1718,  vol.  i,  pp.  540,  541. 


156 


RINGS 


In  these  statements  there  is  probably  a  confusion 
between  the  diamond  of  Henrietta  Maria,  known  later 
as  that  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  and  a  diamond  signet 
of  Charles  I,  for  such  a  signet  is  said  to  have  been  given 
to  Bishop  Juxon  by  Charles  just  before  his  execution. 
We  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  Henrietta  Maria 
bore  her  own  signet  with  her  when  she  left  England, 

The  ring  containing  this  historic  diamond  was  pur- 
chased at  the  sale  of  June  19,  1817,  by  Dr.  Curry  (prob- 
ably James  Curry,  M.D.,  physician  at  Guy's  Hospital) 
for  the  sum  of  £90  6s  ($450),  although  a  contemporary 
letter  states  that  the  sum  was  £86,  and  adds  that  the 
stone  itself  was  worth  but  £10.  The  ring  was  subse- 
quently acquired  by  an  agent.  Van  Prague,  and  after 
passing  through  several  hands  came  into  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Leverson,  a  diamond  dealer  of  Paris,  who  sold 
it  to  the  Duke  of  Brunswick.  At  one  time  it  was  owned 
by  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  and  it  was  exhibited  at  Holyrood 
in  1843,  when  several  rock  crystal  models  were  made  of 
it.  One  of  these  served  Mr.  Fortnum  as  a  standard  of 
comparison  for  the  identification  of  the  Duke  of  Bruns- 
wick's diamond. 

The  stone  is  a  table  diamond  and  is  engraved  with 
the  arms  of  England  and  France  in  the  first  and  fourth 
quarters,  with  those  of  Scotland  in  the  second  quarter, 
and  those  of  Ireland  in  the  third.  In  1887,  on  the 
occasion  of  Queen  Victoria's  Jubilee,  this  signet  was 
presented  to  the  queen  by  Mr.  Drury  Fortnum,  and  it 
is  now  in  the  royal  collection  at  Windsor  Castle.^ ^ 

One  of  the  most  interesting  engraved  diamonds  is 
the  signet  of  Charles  I  of  England,  when  Prince  of 

82  H.  Clifford-Smith,  ''The  King's  Gems  and  Jewels  at 
Windsor  Castle,"  The  Cormoisseur,  1903,  vol.  v,  p.  244. 


RINGS  FROM  THE  COLLECTION  OF  THE  IMPERIAL  KUNSTGEWERBE  MUSEUM,  VIENNA 
1  and  3,  rings  of  Empress  Eleonora,  wife  of  Ferdinand  III  (1608-1657);  enameled  gold;  Seventeenth  Century.  2,  gold 
ring  said  to  have  belonged  to  Mary  of  Burgundy,  daughter  of  Charles  the  Bold,  and  wife  of  Maximilian  I,  Emperor  of 
Germany.  Bears  an  M  formed  of  black  diamonds  and  has  twice  on  the  inner  side  the  monogram  of  Maria  in  Gothic 
capitals.  4,  ring  with  miniature  portraits  of  Emperor  Mathias  and  his  wife  Empress  Anne;  enameled  gold;  1612-1619. 
5,  (a)  ring  with  watch  by  Johann  Putz  of  Augsburg,  and  (h)  lid  made  of  an  emerald  on  which  the  Austrian  double-eagle 
is  engraved;  Seventeenth  Century.  6,  ring  with  a  sun-dial,  the  lid  representing  a  hedgehog  studded  with  black  diamond 
lozenges;  Seventeenth  Century.  7  and  8,  two  rings  set  with  topaz;  enameled  gold;  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  Century. 
9,  bronze  ring,  with  head  of  Christ  in  white  enamel  on  blue  ground,  the  hair  being  of  gold;  Seventeenth  Century.  10,  ring 
set  with  a  rock  crystal,  engraved  with  the  arms  of  an  Austrian  archduke.  On  the  inner  side  is  a  sun-dial;  Seventeenth 
century.   11,  ring  with  a  miniature  portrait  of  Empress  Claudia  Felicitas;  enameled  gold 


IMrnE^SION  OF  alGNET, 

Dout)le  sizt."  tiiKMi". 


Signet  king,  cbarles  i. 
Double  size  linear. 


SIGNET  RING  OF  CHARLES  I 
The  richly  ornamented  gold  hoop 
has  on  its  shoulders  a  lion  and  a  uni- 
corn of  chiseled  steel.  On  the  bezel 
is  a  steel  plate  engraved  with  the 
Royal  arms,  those  of  France  and 
England  in  the  first  and  fourth  quar- 
ters; in  the  second,  the  arms  of  Scot- 
land; and  in  the  third,  the  Irish  harp. 
On  the  sides  of  the  gold  base  of  the 
bezel  is  the  inscription:  " Dieu  et 
mon  droit,''   inserted  in  steel  letters 


SIGNET  RINGS 


157 


Wales.^^  This  is  a  large  shield-shaped  diamond  en- 
graved in  intaglio  with  the  Prince  of  Wales'  feathers 
between  the  letters  CP.  and  issuing  from  a  coronet; 
on  a  ribbon  beneath  appears  the  motto  i  c  h  d  i  e  n  . 
The  stone  is  set  in  a  ring  of  enamelled  gold.  The  en- 
graving is  finely  executed  and  deeply  cut.  This  signet 
has  often  been  regarded  as  that  of  Charles  II,  but  all 
doubt  as  to  the  original  owner  is  set  at  rest  by  the  exist- 
ence of  an  autograph  letter  of  Charles  I,  in  the  posses- 
sion of  M.  Labouchere  of  Paris,  bearing  its  impress. 

The  Royal  Collection  at  Windsor  Castle  also  contains 
the  signet  used  by  Charles  I,  as  King.  It  has  a  richly 
ornamented  hoop,  to  which  are  attached,  at  the  shoulders, 
chiseled  steel  figures  of  a  lion  and  a  unicorn.  The  gold 
bezel  has  a  steel  facing  constituting  the  seal.  This  is 
engraved  with  the  royal  arms;  in  the  first  and  fourth 
quarters,  the  arms  of  England  and  of  France ;  in  the  sec- 
ond quarter,  those  of  Scotland;  in  the  fourth  quarter, 
the  Irish  harp.  On  the  gold  base  of  the  bezel  is  the 
motto:  Dieu  et  mon  Droit,  inserted  in  letters  of  steel. 
This  constitutes  an  exceptionally  fine  example  of  com- 
posite metal- work.  The  archaeologist.  Rev.  C.  W.  King, 
suggests  that  it  may  be  the  work  of  the  "  Inimitable 
Simon,"  as  he  was  called,  who  later  engraved  dies  for  the 
coinage  of  the  Lord  Protector,  Oliver  Cromwell,  al- 
though he  admits  that  it  may  have  been  executed  by 
Vanderdoort,  who  was  commanded  in  1625  to  make  pat- 
tern pieces  for  the  coinage  of  Charles  I,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  King's  reign.^^ 

«3  Fortnum,  "  Collection  at  Windsor  Castle,"  London,  1876, 
p.  141. 

®*  C.  Dniry  Fortnum,  "  Notes  on  Some  of  the  Antique  and 
Renaissance  Gems  and  Jewels  in  Her  Majesty's  Collection  at 
Windsor  Castle,"  London,  1876,  pp.  26,  Tl. 


158 


RINGS 


A  signet  ring  used  by  Kaiser  William  II  is  set  with 
a  reddish-white  onyx,  on  which  has  been  engraved  a 
shield  bearing  the  German  eagle,  and  surmounted  by  a 
crown  and  the  letters,  W.  II.  I.  R.,  Wilhelm  der  Zweite, 
Imperator  Rex.  This  signet  belonged  to  the  present 
Kaiser's  grandfather  William  I,  and  has  been  adapted  to 
the  present  monarch's  use. 

Signet  rings  were  very  popular  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  eighteenth  century  and  into  the  nineteenth  century. 
Then,  later  on,  they  were  revived  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  this  revival  continuing  into  the 
twentieth  century.  In  the  earlier  period  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  engrave  the  crest  and  motto,  or  the  full  arms 
and  motto,  on  the  ring  stone,  which  was  generally  blood- 
stone or  carnelian,  occasionally  white  chalcedony,  more 
rarely  lapis  lazuli,  in  contradistinction  to  the  large  seal 
fobs,  in  which  the  favorite  stones  were  amethyst,  rock 
crystal,  smoky  topaz  (quartz  variety),  pale  chalcedony 
or  some  lighter  colored  material.  Many  signet  rings 
were  engraved  upon  gold,  the  sides  of  the  rings  being 
also  engraved,  as  a  general  rule. 

Since  the  year  1900,  great  interest  has  been  aroused 
in  seal  rings,  many  of  the  designs  of  which  are  incised 
in  gold  or  in  platinum,  the  entire  ring  being  of  gold  or 
platinum,  or  having  a  platinum  disk  set  in  a  gold  hoop. 
The  entire  variety  of  fancy  stones  is  used:  pale 
amethyst,  ruby,  beryl,  aquamarine,  zircon,  garnet,  sard 
which  has  been  stained  brown,  carnelian  (rarely) ,  blood- 
stone, and  jade — both  the  nephrite  variety  from  New 
Zealand  and  Russia  and  the  jadeite  variety  found  at 
Bahmo,  Burma.  Occasionally  the  seals  of  rings  are  made 
of  fine  sapphires,  emeralds,  or  rubies,  and  sell  for  from 
$1,000  to  $10,000,  or  even  more. 


SIGNET  RINGS 


159 


Seal  rings  were  extensively  worn  in  the  period  from 
about  1865  to  1885.  Frequently  these  had  absolutely 
nothing  engraved  upon  them.  The  setting  was  often 
an  oblong,  rectangular  onyx,  sometimes  one  inch  or  one 
and  a  quarter  inches  long.  Occasionally  upon  this 
was  inset  a  rose  diamond  initial ;  or  else  the  initial  was 
cut  upon  the  stone — when  the  onyx  was  black  on  top — 
rarely  a  crest.  In  many  cases  the  stone  was  white  above 
and  pink  below,  a  sardonyx,  and  the  initial  was  cut 
through  the  light  layer.  Or  else  it  was  white  or  pale 
gray  on  a  black  ground.  The  general  effect  was  thus 
gray,  the  gem  being  of  the  type  known  as  nicolo. 

Then  came  the  cameo  rings,  with  designs  either  black 
on  white  or  brown  on  white,  sardonyx;  or  white  on 
green,  chrysonyx.  Later  again  taste  developed  for 
intaglio  rings.  In  this  instance,  instead  of  stones  of  a 
brownish  or  whitish  gray, — chalcedony, — those  of  a  pale 
brown  or  a  dark  brown  were  chosen  and  these  were  called 
sard.  Because  of  the  brown  hue,  the  term  onyx  was 
also  applied  to  them.  This  must  not  be  confused  with 
the  antique  sard  which  resulted  from  burning  a  stone  of 
a  different  hue,  as  in  the  case  of  the  antique  carnelian 
also.  The  translucent  or  opaque  varieties,  with  rich 
red  or  dark  brown  top,  were  called  sard,  whereas  the 
paler  translucent  and  almost  transparent  varieties, — 
when  pale  red,  yellowish  red  or  almost  yellow, — were 
called  carnelian. 

While  the  natal  gem  in  a  simple  but  effective  setting 
is  the  most  appropriate  ring  for  a  girl  or  boy,  a  small  seal 
ring  for  the  boy,  when  he  is  about  12  years  old'  is  not  un- 
fitting, the  seal  being  so  well-executed  that  it  may  serve 
him  when  he  has  reached  manhood.  For  very  young 
children,  no  stone  can  be  given  the  preference  over  the 
turquoise,  which  in  its  delicacy  and  beauty  of  color  can- 


160 


RINGS 


not  be  excelled.  Small  pearls  are  also  used,  or  tiny 
brilliant  rubies.^ ^ 

In  a  brightly- written  tale  for  children,  the  style  of 
which  is  rather  pronouncedly  "  up-to-date,"  a  sapphire 
signet  is  an  important  element  of  the  story.  Long  years 
ago,  in  the  island  of  Bermuda,  in  the  Revolutionary 
period,  this  heirloom  was  surreptitiously  secured  by  a 
young  girl,  to  whom  it  was  destined  on  her  coming  of 
age,  but  who  was  childishly  impatient  to  gain  possession 
of  it  before  the  time.  The  little  heroine  comes  to  New 
York  and  under  the  stress  of  a  weird  Tory  plot,  hides 
away  her  signet  in  the  false  bottom  of  an  old  trunk, 
stored  away  in  the  garret  of  the  Charlton  Street  house 
in  which  she  has  lived.  Here,  more  than  a  century 
later,  a  group  of  bright  children  find  a  diary  of  the 
long-dead  heroine  written  in  cipher.  One  of  them  is 
clever  enough  to  unravel  this  mystery  and  they  finally 
succeed  in  finding  the  hidden  signet.^^ 

Two  characteristic  Oriental  seal  rings  are  owned 
by  Miss  Joan  St.  Michael  Peters  and  Miss  Katherine 
Harrower,  both  of  New  York  City.  The  gems  with 
which  they  are  set  were  bought  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  J ohn  P. 
Peters  from  an  Arab,  in  the  Kut-el-Amara  region, 
where  the  British  invaders  of  Mesopotamia  underwent 
such  a  disastrous  defeat.  They  are  engraved  carnelians. 
Miss  Peters'  ring  offers  the  design  of  a  winged  figure. 
The  excellence  of  the  cutting  might  seem  to  indicate 
that  it  was  done  some  time  between  500  B.C.  and  the 
beginning  of  our  era,  but  a  later  date  has  been  assigned 
to  it  by  Prof.  A.  V.  Williams  Jackson  of  Columbia 

®^  George  Frederick  Kunz,  "  The  Etiquette  of  Gems,"  Satur- 
day Evening  Post,  June  27,  1908,  p.  5. 

®6  Augusta  Huiell  Seaman,  "The  Sapphire  Signet,"  New 
York,  The  Century  Co.,  1916, 


Gold  ring  with  miniature  portrait,  given  by  Washington  to  Lafayette  on  the  latter's  return  to  France. 
See  pages  191  and  192.    It  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Gosta  Frolen  of  Falun,  Sweden 


Photograph  of  two  impressions  in  seaHng  wax,  made  by  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  of  his 
seal  ring,  the  inscription  reading  "Woodrow  Wilson,"  in  Pitmanic  shorthand.  1916 


Episcopal  seal  of  Right  Rev.  David  H.  Greer,  Bishop  of  New  York.  M  tto:  Crux  mihi  grata  quies 
(The  Cross  is  my  grateful  rest).  The  shield  bears  the  monogram  of  the  bishop's  name,  above  which 
are  two  keys  in  saltire;  below  is  the  coat-of-arms  of  New  Amsterdam.   As  crest  is  an  Episcopal  mitre 


SIGNET  RINGS 


161 


University,  who  pronounces  it  to  be  a  Sassanian  gem, 
and  hence  not  older  than  the  third  Christian  century. 
The  other  ring,  that  belonging  to  Miss  Harrower,  ap- 
pears to  be  of  the  Seleucidan  period,  and  may  be  dated 
from  300  to  200  B.C.  The  inscription,  difficult  to 
decipher,  should  be  read  "  Khan  "  in  Prof.  Jackson's 
opinion. 

One  of  the  most  intrinsically  valuable  of  ancient 
signets  is  that  engraved  for  Constantius  II  (317-361 
A.D.).  This  is  of  sapphire,  the  stone  weighing  53  of 
the  older  carats  (54.40  metric  carats) .  The  design 
shows  the  emperor  in  the  act  of  spearing  an  enormous 
wild  boar  on  the  plains  of  Csesarea,  the  Greek  inscrip- 
tion ociphius  denoting  the  sword-like  tusks  of  the  animal. 
The  exploit  is  performed  before  a  reclining  female 
figure,  a  personification  of  the  city  Casarea  of  Cappa- 
Idocia.  A  Latin  inscription  constantius.  aug 
is  considered  to  prove  that  this  is  veritably  the  emperor's 
signet.  This  remarkable  gem  is  in  the  collection  of 
Prince  Trivulzio  of  Milan.^^ 

A  novel  idea  finds  expression  in  the  ring  of  Presi- 
dent Wilson,  on  which  he  has  had  engraved  his  name 
in  stenographic  symbols.  This  is  in  thorough  agree- 
ment with  his  aim  to  utilize  business  methods  in  the 
administration  of  national  affairs,  to  do  away  with  rou- 
tine and  take  the  most  direct  route  to  the  solution  of 
national  problems.  One  of  our  two  ex-Presidents, 
William  H.  Taft,  sent  us  this  reply:  "  I  never  wear  a 
finger  ring  and  never  have  done  so.  For  that  reason,  I 
cannot  comply  with  your  request." 

C.  W.  King,  "  The  Natural  History  of  Precious  Stones," 
London,  1870,  p.  254;  Duffield  Osborne,  "Engraved  Gems," 
New  York,  1912,  p.293.  First  published  by  Ducange,  in  the 
seventeenth  century. 

From  letters  of  E:x-President  Taft  and  of  Private  Secre- 
tary Tumulty  to  the  author. 
11 


IV 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY 

np HE  principal  types  of  the  rings  used  as  insignia, 
religious  or  secular,  or  as  signets,  as  well  as  of 
those  devoted  to  some  special  purpose  or  believed  to 
possess  talismanic  or  magic  virtue  are  treated  of  in  other 
chapters.  There  are  many  rings,  however,  which  owe 
their  chief  or  only  interest  to  their  association  with  some 
particular  historic  personage,  event  or  period,  while 
often  the  mere  fact  that  the  ornament  has  been  owned  by 
a  famous  person  suffices  to  make  it  precious  and  inter- 
esting; in  a  number  of  cases  the  ring  itself  has  been 
closely  connected  with  some  important  historic  happen- 
ing or  else  with  some  cherished  legend.  Examples  of 
this  are  the  ring  of  Essex  in  Elizabeth's  time,  and  the 
legendary  ring  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  regarding  the 
stone  setting  of  which  several  discrepant  accounts  exist. 

The  Bibliotheque  Nationale  in  Paris  has  in  its 
Cabinet  des  Medailles,  two  massive  gold  rings,  in  each 
of  which  the  chaton  is  formed  by  an  ancient  coin.  In 
one  is  set  a  rare  gold  quinarius  of  Maximinus  (235-238 
A.D.)  with  his  effigy,  and  the  ring  is  believed  to  have 
been  made  during  this  giant  emperor's  brief  reign ;  the 
other  bears  a  golden  solidus  probably  of  Clotaire  II, 
King  of  the  Franks,  who  reigned  from  584  to  628  a.d. 
This  coin  shows  a  figure  of  the  king  with  the  name 
Chlotarius  Rex,  and  the  mint-mark  of  the  city  of  Arras. 
The  coin  is  more  than  %  inch  in  diameter.^ 

^  Chabouillet,  "  Catalogue  general  et  raisonne  des  camees  et 
pierres  gravees  de  la  Bibliotheque  Nationale,"  Paris,  1858, 
p.  388,  389 ;  Nos.  ^636,  2639. 
162 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY  163 


In  a  Frankish  sepulchre  at  Laubenheim,  near 
Bingen,  Hessen-Darmstadt,  was  found  a  gold  ring  on 
the  bezel  of  which  is  engraved  the  head  of  a  woman, 
turned  to  the  right,  around  which  are  the  letters  of  the 
Gothic  name  Hunila.  A  princess  of  this  name  was 
married,  about  280  a.d.,  to  Quintus  Bonosius,  one  of 
the  Thirty  Tyrants  who  established  themselves  in  the 
Roman  Empire  during  the  short  and  troubled  reign  of 
Probus  (280-281).  While  the  ring  we  describe  cannot 
be  assigned  to  such  an  early  period,  but  probably  be- 
longs to  the  end  of  the  sixth  or  the  beginning  of  the 
seventh  century  of  our  era,  the  intrinsic  value  and  the 
workmanship,  superior  for  the  place  and  time,  render  it 
likely  that  this  Hunila,  also,  was  of  royal  race  and 
station.  In  the  sepulchre  which  yielded  this  ring  there 
was  a  chain  of  amber  and  amethyst  beads.^ 

The  Persian  poet-philosopher,  Saadi,  relates  in  his 
Gulistan,  or  "  Garden  of  Roses,"  a  story  illustrating 
how  a  happy  chance  may  do  more  to  help  the  attain- 
ment of  a  temporary  success  than  special  ability  or 
training.  A  Persian  sovereign,  passionately  devoted  to 
archery,  determined  to  make  a  crucial  test  of  the  skill 
of  his  most  famous  archers,  and  to  stimulate  their  efforts 
by  the  bestowal  of  a  rich  prize.  To  this  end  he  caused 
a  ring  set  with  an  immensely  valuable  precious  stone 
to  be  suspended  above  the  dome  of  Azad  on  the  mosque 
near  Shiraz,  and  proclaimed  to  all  men  that  this  ring 
would  be  given  to  the  one  who  succeeded  in  shooting  an 
arrow  through  its  hoop.  Despite  the  apparent  impos- 
sibility of  the  task,  several  hundred  of  the  Shah's  archers 
strove  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of  the  trial,  but  in  vain. 

^  M.  Deloche,  "  Etude  historique  et  archeologique  sur  les 
anneaux  sigillaires  et  autres  des  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age," 
Paris,  1900,  pp.  90-92,  figure. 


164 


RINGS 


Suddenly  the  Shah  and  his  companions,  who  were  closely 
watching  the  contest,  saw,  to  their  amazement,  an  arrow 
speed  through  the  air  and  exactly  traverse  the  ring. 
None  of  the  archers  before  the  mosque  had  been  shoot- 
ing at  the  moment,  and  only  after  a  careful  search  had 
been  made  did  it  come  out  that  the  arrow  had  been  shot 
off  by  a  youth  at  play  in  a  near-by  garden  of  a  mon- 
astery. Nevertheless,  the  royal  word  had  been  pledged, 
and  the  ring  was  adjudged  to  the  youth.  The  latter, 
however,  showed  his  wisdom  by  breaking  his  bow  and 
arrows,  and  never  trying  another  shot,  thus  keeping 
unsullied  his  reputation  as  a  great  archer.^ 

One  of  the  Latin  treatises  of  Petrarch  tells  of  a 
carbuncle  or  ruby,  worn  set  in  a  ring  by  John  II  of 
France,  and  believed  to  possess  talismanic  power.  The 
poet  remarks,  however,  that  this  stone  did  not  preserve 
the  King  from  being  defeated  and  made  prisoner  at  the 
battle  of  Poitiers  in  1356.  This  ruby  was  taken  by  the 
English,  but  was  returned  to  John  several  years  later, 
so  that  he  was  able  again  "  to  see  an  object  of  infinite 
value,  but  of  no  use  whatever."  While  admitting  the 
beauty  of  gems,  Petrarch  did  not  share  the  belief  com- 
mon in  his  day  that  they  possessed  occult  powers.*  Of 
the  diamond  he  says  that,  while  in  ancient  times  it  was 
a  gem  worn  only  by  kings,  in  his  own  day  luxury  and 
pride  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  many  who 
were  not  kings  possessed  the  stone,  and  even  some  of 
the  common  people  wore  it  on  their  fingers.^ 

A  ring  called  the  "  Friday  Ring  "  is  listed  among 
the  jewels  of  Charles  V  of  France  (1337-1380),  in  the 

^  "  The  Gulistan  or  Rose  Garden,"  trans,  by  Edward  B. 
Eastwick,  London,  1880,  p.  148. 

^  Francisci  Petrarchae,  "  De  remediis,"  Genevae,  1613,  p.  151. 
^  Francisci  Petrarchae,  op.  cit.,  p.  147. 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY  165 


inventory  made  in  1379.  This  had  on  either  side  a 
double  black  cross  in  niello  work,  and  was  set  with  a 
cameo  bearing  a  crucifix  and  the  figures  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  St.  John  and  two  angels.  The  name  was  de- 
rived from  the  fact  that  the  king  wore  this  ring  every 
Friday,  doubtless  in  memory  of  the  Crucifixion,  which 
took  place  on  that  day.^  There  is  also  mention  of 
another  ring,  set  with  a  large  ruby,  "  the  form  of  a  half- 
bean.  This  is  the  ruby  which  belonged  to  St.  Louis 
(1215-1270),  and  which  has  always  been  guarded  suc- 
cessively by  the  kings  of  France."  ^  There  seems  to  be 
some  likelihood  that  this  was  the  highly  prized  ruby  lost 
by  King  John  II  about  1357,  and  in  this  case  it  must 
have  been  restored  to  the  French  treasury.  Still  another 
ring  was  set  with  a  large  ruby,  called  the  "  ruby  de  la 
Caille,"  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  dukes  of 
Brittany  and  had  been  given  to  King  Charles  by  Mon- 
signeur  d'Anjou.  A  note  to  this  inventory  informs  us 
that  the  term  "  ruby  d'Alexandrie,"  so  often  met  with  in 
old  French  lists  of  jewels,  denotes  a  ruby  bought  in 
Alexandria,  where  many  of  the  finest  precious  stones 
from  the  East  were  dealt  in  during  medieval  times.^ 

The  battlefield  of  Agincourt,  in  the  department  of 
Pas-de-Calais,  not  far  removed  from  the  trenches  of 
the  Anglo-French  army  in  the  great  war  of  to-day,  was 
visited  in  1815  by  General  Sir  John  Woodford,  who 
was  serving  with  the  Grenadier  Guards.  Hoping  to 
unearth  a  few  relics  of  the  famous  battle  he  had  some 
excavations  made,  and  his  efforts  were  rewarded  by  the 

^  Labarte,  "  Inventaire  du  mobilier  de  Charles  V,"  Paris, 
1879,  p.  83,  No.  524. 

Ibid.,  p.  80,  No.  491. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  16,  note ;  for  the  ruby  of  the  dukes  of  Brittany, 
see  p.  80,  No.  492. 


166 


RINGS 


discovery  of  several  knightly  rings  inscribed  with  mot- 
toes or  posies.  About  1850  one  of  these  rings,  which 
had  probably  been  worn  by  a  French  noble,  was  shown 
at  a  meeting  of  the  London  Archaeological  Institute. 
The  battle  of  Agincourt,  where  the  French  army  was 
decisively  defeated  by  Henry  V  of  England,  was  fought 
October  25,  1415,  on  the  day  of  Sts.  Crispin  and 
Crispian,  and  inspired  Shakespeare  with  the  following 
proud  lines  addressed  by  the  English  king  to  his  soldiers : 

And  Crispin  Crispian  shall  ne'er  go  by 
From  this  day  to  the  ending  of  the  world, 
But  we  in  it  shall  be  remembered. 

Hungary's  great  hero,  John  Hunyady  ( 1387  ?-1456) , 
had  in  his  coat  of  arms  a  raven  holding  a  ring  in  its  beak. 
The  legendary  explanation  of  this  is  that  King  Sigis- 
mund  once  gave  a  ring  to  his  mistress,  the  hero's  mother, 
as  a  passport  for  entrance  to  the  court.  One  day  the 
royal  parent  wished  to  see  his  offspring,  and  the  child's 
uncle  received  orders  to  bring  it  to  the  court.  On  his 
way  thither,  while  traversing  a  piece  of  woodland,  the 
man  came  to  a  clearing  and  sat  down  on  the  grass  to 
repose  himself,  giving  the  precious  ring,  his  token  to 
the  king,  to  the  child  as  a  plaything.  Suddenly  a  raven 
swooped  down  from  a  tree,  picked  up  the  ring  and  flew 
away  with  it ;  but  the  man  caught  up  a  bow  he  had  with 
him  and  sped  a  shaft  after  the  bird,  which  fell  dead  to 
the  ground  with  the  ring  still  tightly  held  in  its  beak. 
When,  in  later  years,  the  illegitimate  child  grew  up 
and  finally  ascended  the  throne  of  Hungary,  this  event 
was  figured  on  his  coat  of  arms  by  the  emblems  of  the 
raven  and  the  ring.^ 

^  Szendrei,  "  Catalogue  de  la  collection  de  bagues  de  Mme. 
Tamoczy,"  Paris,  1889,  pp.  xxvii,  xxviii. 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY  167 


When  the  Constable  Louis  of  Luxembourg  was  con- 
demned to  death  in  1475,  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XI  of 
France,  he  drew  from  his  finger  a  small  gold  ring  set 
with  a  diamond  and  requested  the  father  confessor  to 
offer  it  to  the  image  of  Our  Lady  of  Paris.  Then, 
turning  to  the  Franciscan  monk,  Jean  de  Sordun,  he 
said:  "  Here  is  a  stone  I  have  long  worn  on  my  neck 
and  which  I  have  greatly  prized,  for  it  resists  poison, 
and  also  protects  against  pestilence.  I  pray  you  to 
take  this  stone  for  me  to  my  son,  to  whom  you  will  say 
that  I  beg  him  to  keep  it  for  love  of  me."  This  touch- 
ing mission  was  never  fulfilled,  for  after  the  execution 
of  the  Constable,  the  court  ordered  that  the  stone  should 
be  given  to  King  Louis.  The  diamond  ring,  however, 
was  duly  dedicated  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin. Of 
Louis  XI  himself,  the  chronicler  quaintly  says :  "Be- 
fore his  death  he  suffered  much  from  various  diseases 
for  the  cure  of  which  the  physicians  who  attended  him 
concocted  dreadful  and  wonderful  medicines.  May  these 
illnesses  procure  the  salvation  of  his  soul!  " 

Some  interesting  historic  rings  are  in  the  fine  col- 
lection of  Dr.  Albert  Figdor,  Vienna.  One  of  them  is 
a  gold  ring  believed  to  have  belonged  to  Mary  of  Bur- 
gundy, (d.  1482)  daughter  of  Charles  the  Bold,  and 
wife  of  Maximilian  I  of  Germany.  On  the  ring  is  the 
letter  M  formed  of  black  diamonds,  and  the  monogram 
of  the  name  Maria,  in  Gothic  characters,  appears  twice 
on  its  inner  side.  Two  enameled  gold  rings  of  Empress 
Eleonora,  third  wife  of  Ferdinand  III  of  Germany 

Chroniques   d'Engarrand   de  Monstrelet,  Paris,  1596, 
vol.  ii,  "Autres  nouvelles  chroniques,"  f.  55  recto.    These  "  new 
chronicles  "  are  from  various  sources,  and  were  composed  by 
one  of  the  continuators  of  Monstrelet's  work. 
"  Ibid.,  f.  78  recto. 


168 


RINGS 


(1608-1657),  are  good  examples  of  seventeenth  cen- 
tury work.  More  interesting  is  a  ring  bearing  minia- 
ture portraits  of  Emperor  Mathias  of  Germany  (1557- 
1619)  and  his  wife  Empress  Anne/^ 

The  first  historical  instance  of  writing  with  a 
diamond  point  concerns  Francis  I,  who  wrote,  with  the 
diamond  of  his  ring,  upon  a  pane  of  glass  in  the  Castle 
of  Chambord,  the  following  oft-quoted  lines: 

Sou  vent  femme  varie, 
Mai  habile  qui  s'y  fie. 

The  king  "  engraved  "  these  lines  in  such  a  con- 
spicuous place  that  they  might  be  seen  by  his  favorite, 
Anne  de  Pisseleu,  Duchesse  d'Estampes,  and  make  it 
clear  to  her  that  his  jealousy  was  aroused  by  her  con- 
duct/^ The  story  runs  that  the  celebrated  sister  of 
Francis,  Marguerite  de  Valois,  authoress  of  the  Hep- 
tameron,  who  was  on  very  friendly  terms  with  the 
Duchesse  d'Estampes,  immediately  capped  this  distich 
by  writing  with  her  diamond-point  the  following  re- 
joinder: 

Souvent  homme  varie, 
Bien  folle  qui  s'y  fie. 

Brantome,  who  relates  that  he  saw  the  window-pane 
inscription  of  Francis  I  at  Chambord,  merely  cites  the 
first  words:  "  Souvent  femme  varie,"  and  as  there  is 
considerable  lack  of  agreement  as  to  the  second  line, 
this  may  have  been  added  by  those  who  reported  the 
writing,  according  to  their  own  idea  of  what  a  continua- 

Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 

See  for  original  accounts  Lettres  inedites  de  la  Reine 
Marguerite,  pt.  i;  Brantome,  ed.  Lalanne,  vol.  ix,  p.  715  and 
also  Bermier,  Hist,  de  Blois,  Paris,  1682,  p.  8. 

Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  p.  126. 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  LADY.  PAINTED  IN  COLOGNE,  ABOUT  1526 
Ring  set  with  a  pointed  diamond  on  index  of  right  hand,  small  ring  on  little  finger  of  the 
same  hand;  two  rings  on  index  of  left  hand  and  one  on  fourth  finger  of  the  same  hand;  all  set 
with  precious  stones 

Konigliche  Gemalde-Galerie,  Cassel 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  MAN,  BY  HANS  FUNK,  PAINTED  IN  1523 
Large  seal  ring  on  right  hand  forefinger  and  two  on  left  hand,  one  on  forefinger  and  one  on 

fourth  finger 
Gallery  at  Basel,  Switzerland 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY 


169 


tion  should  be.  There  is  a  rather  vague  rumor  that  the 
glass  was  broken  out  by  order  of  Louis  XIV,  the  fact 
being  that  it  is  no  longer  in  existence  and  evidently 
disappeared  at  least  a  couple  of  centuries  ago/^ 

A  ring  set  with  a  pyramidal  diamond,  one  of  the 
type  used  by  Francis  I  on  this  occasion,  is  shown  in  the 
Londesborough  Collection.  This  ring,  which  dates  from 
the  sixteenth  century  and  is  of  Itahan  workmanship,  is 
known  as  a  "  tower  ring,"  possibly  because  those  con- 
fined in  the  Tower  of  London  were  able  to  use  such 
rings  for  writing  names  or  verses  upon  the  window- 
panes  of  their  prison/^ 

Still  another  story  of  diamond-point  writing,  prob- 
ably even  less  well  attested  than  the  anecdote  of 
Francis  I,  is  that  referring  to  Queen  Elizabeth  and  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh/^  On  the  occasion  of  an  interview  with 
the  wily  queen,  Sir  Walter,  rather  distrustful  of  the 
royal  encouragement  accorded  him,  is  said  to  have  gone 
to  a  window  in  the  royal  audience  chamber  and  written 
on  the  window-pane  with  his  diamond  ring: 

Fain  would  I  climb,  but  that  I  fear  to  fall. 

For  answer  the  queen  scratched  beneath  this  the  fol- 
lowing admonition,  at  once  an  encouragement  and  a 
warning: 

If  thy  heart  fail  thee,  do  not  climb  at  all. 

An  eighteenth  century  instance  of  diamond-point 
writing  on  a  pane  of  glass  was  reported  in  an  old  news- 

Theodore  Andrea  Cook,  "  Old  Touraine,"  New  York, 
1895,  p.  195. 

Catalogue  of  a  collection  of  ancient  and  mediseval  rings 
and  personal  ornaments,  London,  1853,  p.  15.  Privately 
printed. 

Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  p.  127. 


170 


RINGS 


paper/ ^  A  celebrated  English  beauty  of  the  eight- 
eenth century,  while  sojourning  at  the  famous  English 
watering-place,  Bath,  wrote  on  a  window-pane  the 
following  impromptu  lines: 

In  vain,  in  vain  is  all  you've  said. 
For  I'm  resolved  to  die  a  Maid. 

In  answer  to  this  a  gentleman  of  her  acquaintance 
cut  this  rejoinder,  the  idea  being  better  than  the  rhyme: 

The  Lady  who  this  resolution  took, 

Wrote  it  on  Glass  to  show  it  might  be  broke. 

The  visitor  who  relates  this  states  that  on  returning 
to  Bath  at  a  later  time,  he  found  that  the  window-pane 
had  been  removed,  and  a  new  one  substituted.  Did  this 
mean  that  the  vow  had  been  broken? 

The  use  of  rings  set  with  natural  diamond-points  in 
a  symbolical  sense,  as  in  the  case  of  the  three  interlaced 
rings  forming  the  impresa  of  Cosimo  de'  Medici,  prob- 
ably had  to  do  with  the  ancient  tradition  that  the 
diamond  conferred  courage  or  even  invincibility  upon 
the  wearer.  It  is  in  this  sense  that  this  type  of  ring  is 
figured  on  the  reverse  of  certain  "  campaign  medals  " 
issued  in  commemoration  of  important  expeditions. 
Such  is  the  medal  struck  for  Henri  II  of  France  when, 
in  1554,  he  set  out  from  Champagne  to  invade  Flanders. 
On  the  reverse  of  this  medal  there  is  within  the  ring  a 
palm  branch  and  an  olive  branch,  significant  of  an  un- 
conquerable soul  and  of  victory.  Across  the  bottom  of 
the  hoop  is  a  fish  of  a  species  very  common  in  Flanders, 
on  the  head  of  which  is  a  crown,  this  apparently  denot- 
ing the  ruler  of  that  land.    The  diamond  emphasizes 

i»  S.  D.  C.  in  The  Boston  Chronicle,  Feb.  17,  1769,  from 
a  copy  in  the  Union  League  Club  Library,  New  York  City. 


MEDAL  SHOWING  RING,  STRUCK  IN  1578  FOR  JOHN 
CASIMIR.  COUNT  PALATINE,  TO  COMMEMORATE  HIS 
ALLIANCE  WITH  THE  DUKE  OF  ANJOU  AGAINST  THE 
SPANISH  IN  THE  LOW  COUNTRIES 

The  clasped  hands  signify  indissoluble  friendship;  the  palm  and  olive 
branches,  victory  and  peace;  and  the  diamond,  courage 


MEDAL   SHOWING   RING,  STRUCK  FOR 
HENRI  II  OF  FRANCE,  IN  1554,  IN 
COMMEMORATION  OF  HIS  CAMPAIGN 
TO  FLANDERS 
The  diamond  is  a  symbol  of  dauntless  courage; 

the  crowned  fish  probably  denotes  the  ruler  of 

Flanders;  the  palm  branch  and  olive  branch  above 

signify  the  French  King's  victory 


PORTRAIT  OF  DIANE  DE  POITIERS  (1499-1566) 
Mistress  of  Henri  II  of  France,  who  gave  her  the  splendid  Chateau  de  Chenonceaux.   She  had  great  artis- 
tic taste  and  possessed  many  jewels.   To  her  ability,  knowledge  and  power  were  due  some  of  the  finest  archi- 
tectural and  mobiliary  achievements  of  the  period 

Mus^e  de  Versailles 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY  171 


the  idea  of  an  unbroken  and  unconquered  soul.  In  a 
similar  though  slightly  different  sense  must  be  explained 
the  diamond-set  ring  on  a  "  campaign  medal  "  struck  in 
1578  for  John  Casimir,  Count  Palatine;  this  is  also  a 
memorial  of  one  of  the  periodical  incursions  into  un- 
happy Flanders.  As  the  Count  Palatine  was  at  this 
time  in  alliance  with  the  then  Duke  of  Anjou,  brother 
of  Henri  III  of  France,  the  hoop  of  the  ring  terminates 
in  two  clasped  hands,  denoting  the  fast  friendship  of 
the  allies,  which  was,  however,  of  very  uncertain 
duration. 

The  rich  Arundel  Collection,  chiefly  brought  to- 
gether by  a  Lord  Howard  of  Arundel,  towards  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  incorporated  in  the  Marl- 
borough Cabinet  and  later  dispersed,  included  a  beau- 
tifully adorned  gold  ring  set  with  a  splendid  lapis  lazuli 
on  which  a  Roman  engraver  had  cut  the  design  of 
Hercules  wrestling  with  Antaeus.  The  hoop  of  this  ring 
is  ornamented  on  the  inside  with  two  fleur-de-lys  in  white 
enamel,  the  entire  ring  being  covered  with  arabesques 
of  entwined  vine  branches  in  black  enamel.  In  his 
description.  Rev.  C.  W.  King  conjectures  from  the 
style  of  ornamentation  that  the  ring  may  have  belonged 
to  one  of  the  Valois  kings  of  France. 

On  the  accession  of  Frederick  the  Great,  he  is  said 
to  have  found  in  the  royal  treasury  a  case  containing  a 
ring,  accompanied  by  a  memorandum  to  the  following 
effect,  in  the  handwriting  of  King  Frederick  I  (1688- 
1740)  :  "  This  ring  was  given  to  me  by  my  father  on 
his  deathbed,  with  the  reminder  that  so  long  as  it  was 
preserved  in  the  House  of  Brandenburg,  this  would  not 

19  C.  W.  King,  "  Notices  of  Collections  of  Glyptic  Art 
exhibited  by  the  Archaeological  Institute  in  June,  1861,"  pp.  20, 
21 ;  reprint  from  Archseological  Journal. 


172 


RINGS 


only  prosper,  but  would  grow  and  increase."  The  way 
in  which  Frederick  the  Great  spoke  of  this  ring  illus- 
trates at  once  his  habitual  scepticism  and  his  devotion 
to  family  tradition,  for  while  declaring  that  he  put  no 
faith  in  the  peculiar  virtues  of  such  an  object,  he  gave 
strict  injunctions  that  it  should  be  carefully  preserved. 
A  rather  doubtful  tradition  designates  this  ring  as  the 
one  said  to  have  been  surreptitiously  removed  from  the 
hand  of  Frederick  William  I,  when  he  was  dying,  by 
the  Countess  Lichtenau.  The  dying  king  feebly 
protesting  against  this  spoliation,  murmured:  "  Her  den 
Ring"  (Give  back  the  ring),  but  the  countess  saved 
the  situation  by  saying  to  those  assembled  in  the  death- 
chamber:  "He  wants  to  have  a  herring!"  This  same 
tradition  attributes  the  subsequent  disastrous  defeat  of 
Prussia  by  Napoleon  I  to  the  loss  of  the  ring,  which  the 
countess  finally  yielded  to  Frederick  William  III  in 
1813,  whereupon  the  fortunes  of  war  changed  and 
Prussia  was  avenged  for  her  humiliations. 

Hofrath  Schneider,  for  a  long  time  reader  to  Em- 
peror William  I,  relates  that  when  he  questioned  that 
monarch  touching  the  story  of  the  ring,  he  only  learned 
that  it  had  been  a  long  time  in  the  Hohenzollern  family ; 
that  it  was  an  old-fashioned  ring,  and  that  it  was  set 
with  "  a  plain,  dark-colored  stone."  Emperor  William 
did  not  display  much  interest  in  the  matter  and  did  not 
appear  to  have  any  superstitious  reverence  for  the  ring.^^ 

An  old  Portuguese  ring  has  a  half-sphere  of  rock 
crystal  set  in  silver.  At  the  side  of  the  bezel  is  a  minute 
catch,  and  when  this  is  put  back,  the  crystal  setting, 
hinged  on  the  opposite  side,  can  be  raised,  revealing 
beneath  a  tiny  St.  Andrews  cross  in  gold,  with  a  small 

See  Schneider,  "Aus  dem  Leben  Kaiser  Wilhelms,"  Berlin, 
1888,  vol.  i,  pp.  154-161. 


SOME  INTERESTING  RINGS  OF  HISTORY 


173 


ruby  set  in  the  centre.  This  ring  is  in  the  possession  of 
an  Englishman,  a  descendant  of  the  Duke  of  Peter- 
borough who  fought  in  the  Peninsula  War  under  Wel- 
lington. In  one  of  the  battles  he  was  seriously  wounded, 
and  was  kindly  and  carefully  nursed  by  a  Portuguese 
family.  A  not  unnatural  result  was  that  he  fell  in 
love  with  one  of  the  daughters  and  married  her.  The 
ring  is  said  to  have  formed  part  of  her  ancestral  jewels, 
and  this  may  be  regarded  as  a  characteristic  example 
of  the  Portuguese  art  of  the  past  in  ring-making.^^ 

A  gold  ring,  said  to  be  one  of  six  made  for  distribu- 
tion among  the  conspirators  who  planned  Napoleon's 
escape  from  Elba  in  March,  1815,  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
British  Museum.  The  bezel  has  a  hinged  lid,  on  the 
inner  side  of  which  is  engraved  in  relief  the  head  of 
Napoleon;  on  the  outer  side  is  an  enamelled  design 
showing  three  flowers  on  stems,  a  laurel  wreath  running 
around  the  edge.^^  Whether  the  story  of  its  having 
belonged  to  one  of  the  conspirators  be  true  or  not,  the 
concealment  of  the  Napoleon  head  shows  that  this  ring 
was  made  for,  and  worn  by,  an  adherent  of  the  fallen 
emperor,  at  a  time  when  it  would  have  been  dangerous 
to  proclaim  his  loyalty  openly. 

ENGLISH  RINGS 

In  the  British  Museum  are  two  Anglo-Saxon  rings 
of  unrivalled  historic  interest.  They  bear,  respectively, 
the  names  of  Ethel wulf,  father  of  Alfred  the  Great  and 
of  Ethelswith,  his  sister,  the  queen  of  Mercia.   Both  of 

Communication  by  Mrs.  Isabel  Moore,  formerly  of  Wood- 
stock, N.  Y.,  now  in  the  Azores. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later  (British  Museum),"  p.  206. 


174 


RINGS 


these  rings  are  of  gold.  In  that  of  King  Ethelwulf  the 
flat  hoop  rises  in  front  in  the  form  of  a  high  mitre- 
shaped  bezel  showing  the  design  of  a  conventional  tree 
flanked  by  two  peacocks;  the  ground-work  is  of  niello. 
The  nielloed  legend  around  the  hoop  reads :  e  t  h  E  l  - 
w  V  L  F  .  REX.  This  ring  was  found  in  a  cart-rut 
at  Laverstock,  Wiltshire,  in  the  summer  of  1780.  The 
ring  of  Ethelwulf's  daughter,  Ethelswith,  has  a 
circular  bezel  with  the  figure  of  the  Lamb  of  God; 
here  also  the  design  is  chased  on  a  niello  ground.  On 
each  shoulder  of  the  ring  is  figured  a  monster  on  a 
similar  ground-work.  The  inscription,  engraved  inside 
the  ring  runs :  eadelzvid.uegina.  Ethel- 
with's  ring  was  found  in  the  West  Riding  of  York- 
shire, between  Aberford  and  Sherburn,  and  was  tied 
to  a  dog's  collar  by  the  farmer  who  discovered  it. 
For  this  ignoble  use  it  served  during  some  six  months 
until,  to  his  surprise,  the  farmer  learned  that  his  ring 
was  of  gold.^^ 

The  famous  ring  known  as  that  of  Edward  the  Con- 
fessor (1024-1066),^*  and  which  was  to  be  used  as  the 
Coronation  Ring  of  the  Kings  of  England,  was  granted 
on  November  14,  1389,  by  King  Richard  II,  to  the 
Abbot,  etc.,  of  Westminster,  for  the  shrine  of  the  Con- 
fessor in  this  church.  It  is  described  as  "  a  certain  ring 
with  a  precious  ruby  inserted  therein."  The  King  re- 
served the  privilege  of  wearing  it  when  he  was  in  Eng- 
land, but  should  he  go  abroad  it  was  to  be  returned  to 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,   Byzantine,   Teutonic,   Mediaeval   and   Later,  Be- 
queathed by  Sir  Augustus  Wollaston  Franks,  K.C.B.  (British 
Museum),"  London,  1912,  pp.  xvi,  29,  30,  pi.  ii(Nos.  179,  180). 
2*  See  pp.  342,  343,  in  chapter  on  Rings  of  Healing. 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


175 


the  shrine.  A  few  years  later  the  Abbot  of  Westminster 
appears  to  have  been  guilty  of  some  negligence  in  send- 
ing this  ring  to  the  sovereign  when  the  latter  required 
it  for  use,  and  the  repentant  abbot  craves  pardon  of 
the  king  and  prays  that  his  fault  shall  not  invalidate 
the  church's  rights  to  the  possession  of  the  relic.  Nearly 
eighty  years  later,  a  record  dated  December  21,  1468 
(7  Edward  IV)  registers  the  delivery  by  the  former 
keeper,  Thomas  Arundell,  of  the  vestments,  cloths, 
relics  and  jewels  of  the  Shrine  of  St.  Edward  in  West- 
minster to  his  successor,  Richard  Tedyngton.^^ 

The  jewels  and  precious  stones  of  this  shrine  were 
taken  away  and  pawned  by  Henry  III  in  1267,  the 
monarch  having  entered  into  a  solemn  engagement, 
under  the  Great  Seal,  to  return  them  in  a  year's  time 
from  the  ensuing  Michaelmas.  Henry  also  sent  to  the 
then  Abbot  of  Westminster  a  "  Letter  Obligatory  " 
promising  the  restitution  of  the  gems  and  submitting 
himself  in  the  matter  to  the  judgment  of  the  Pope  and 
the  Papal  Legate.  The  precious  jewels  were  really 
restored  to  the  Abbey  shortly  afterwards,  as  is  shown  by 
a  document  dated  February  10,  1269  (53  Henry  III). 
The  ruby  ring,  being  a  later  gift,  could  not  have  been 
among  them.^^ 

A  contemporary  entry  referring  to  this  shrine  in 
Edward  I's  time  (1272-1307),  is  interesting  as  casting 
a  sidelight  on  the  English  coinage  at  the  end  of  the 
thirteenth  century.  Under  date  of  1299,  provision  is 
made  for  returning  to  the  church  of  Westminster  the 

Fourth  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  Manuscripts, 
London,  1874,  p.  191. 
2^  Idem.,  loc,  cit. 


176 


RINGS 


half  of  38  marks  of  gold  (about  $9,500  intrinsic  value) 
that  had  been  taken  from  the  shrine  of  St.  Edward 
for  the  jewels  sent  to  Queen  Margaret  on  her  first  com- 
ing to  Westminster,  "  the  coinage  being  so  debased  and 
real  sterlings  rarely  found." 

The  cross  on  the  summit  of  the  Imperial  State 
Crown  of  England,  as  described  by  Prof.  Tennant,  is 
surmounted  by  a  rose-cut  sapphire.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  this  sapphire  was  once  set  in  the  ring  of 
Edward  the  Confessor,  a  ring  which,  according  to 
popular  belief,  was  endowed  with  wonderful  curative 
virtues,  and  gave  its  successive  owners  the  power  to 
consecrate  the  so-called  cramp  rings.^^  This  attribu- 
tion of  the  sapphire  is  in  disagreement  with  the  early 
notice  of  the  ruby  ring  given  to  Westminster  Abbey 
by  Richard  II  as  that  of  the  saintly  Edward,  and  also 
to  the  usage  long  observed  of  setting  a  ruby  in  the 
Coronation  Ring.  King,  in  his  account  of  Edward's 
ring,  calls  attention  to  an  entry  in  the  inventory  of 
Henry  Ill's  jewels  describing  a  sapphire  weighing  52 
dwts  (about  337  metric  carats),  and  suggests  that  this 
may  be  the  large  sapphire  of  the  English  crown.^^ 

When  Pope  Hadrian  IV  (1154-1159)  acknowl- 
edged the  sovereignty  of  Henry  II  of  England  over 
Ireland,  he  sent  to  the  monarch  by  John  of  Salisbury, 
the  messenger  who  bore  the  Brief  of  Investiture,  a  valu- 
able ring  set  with  an  exceptionally  fine  emerald.  This 
historical  fact  probably  suggested  the  name  Emerald 
Isle  as  a  designation  for  Ireland.    The  ring  and  the 

Idem,  loc,  cit. 
28  See  pp.  341-345. 

2®  King,  "Precious  Stones  and  Metals,"  London,  1870, 
p.  319,  note. 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


177 


Brief  were  carefully  guarded  in  the  royal  archives  at 
the  time  John  of  Salisbury  wrote  his  recital.^^ 

During  the  crusade  which  brought  into  martial 
rivalry  two  of  the  most  romantic  figures  of  history, 
Kichard  Cceur  de  Lion  and  Saladin,  an  English  knight, 
Sir  William  D'Annay,  killed  a  Saracen  prince,  in  1192, 
and  not  long  afterwards  vanquished  a  lion  near  the 
ancient  Syrian  city  of  Acre,  later  known  as  St.  Jean 
d'Acre,  as  it  was  placed  under  the  care  of  the  knights 
of  the  Order  of  St.  John.  As  a  special  and  appropriate 
offering  to  King  Richard,  Sir  William  brought  him  a 
paw  of  the  slain  lion,  and  received  from  the  king  as  a 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  had  displayed  a  ring  from 
the  royal  finger.  The  knight  was  also  directed  to  bear 
on  his  crest  a  "  demi  Saracen  "  holding  in  one  hand  a 
lion's  paw  and  in  the  other  a  ring,  so  that  the  memory 
of  the  gallant  deeds  and  of  the  royal  recompense  should 
never  be  forgotten.  In  1856  this  ring  was  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Dawnay,  Viscount  Downe,  a  lineal  descendant 
of  the  crusader,  who  still  bore  the  crest  assigned  by 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion.^^  The  ring  is  of  silver  and  is 
set  with  a  so-called  toadstone,  the  palatal  tooth  of  a 
ray,  famous  in  mediaeval  times  as  a  talisman  against 
poison.^  ^ 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Early 
Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and  Later,  Be- 
queathed by  Sir  Augustus  Wollaston  Franks,  K.C.B."  (British 
Museum),  London,  1912,  p.  xiii. 

31  Hon.  R.  C.  Neville  (4th  baron  Braybrooke),  "The  Ro- 
mance of  the  Ring,  or  the  History  and  Antiquity  of  Finger 
Rings,"  Saffron  Walden,  1856,  p.  19. 

3^  On  the  toadstone,  see  the  present  writer's  "  The  Magic  of 
Jewels  and  Charms,"  Philadelphia  and  London,  1915,  pp.  162- 
167. 

12 


178 


RINGS 


Pope  Innocent  III  (1198-1216)  sent  to  Richard 
Coeur  de  Lion  four  gold  rings,  each  set  with  a  different 
stone.  With  the  rings,  the  pope  sent  a  letter  from 
St.  Peter's  in  Home,  dated  May  28,  1198,  in  which  he 
wrote  that  the  four  stones  were  symboMcal.  The  ver- 
dant hue  of  the  emerald  signified  how  we  should  believe, 
the  celestial  purity  of  the  sapphire,  how  we  should  hope, 
the  warm  color  of  the  garnet,  how  we  should  love,  and 
the  clear  transparency  of  the  topaz,  how  we  should  act. 
Moreover,  the  ring-form  also  possessed  a  symbolical 
meaning,  roundness  denoting  eternity,  which  has  neither 
beginning  nor  end.  Hence  the  royal  conscience  had  in 
the  ring  a  monition  to  pass  from  terrestrial  to  celestial 
matters,  from  temporal  to  eternal  things.^^ 

In  the  ruins  of  the  palace  at  Eltham  in  Kent  was 
found  a  gold  ring  set  with  an  Oriental  ruby  surrounded 
by  five  diamonds  in  their  native  crystalline  state,  placed 
at  equal  distances  from  one  another.  This  ring  weighed 
over  half  an  ounce  (exactly,  267Vio  grains)  and  bore 
the  following  inscription  in  Old  French: 

Qui  me  portera  expliotera 
Et  a  grant  joye  revendra. 

(Whosoever  weareth  me  will  do  doughty  deeds. 
And  will  return  filled  with  joy.) 

This  motto  is  believed  to  indicate  that  the  ring  had 
been  given  to  a  Crusader  to  wear  on  his  expedition  for 
the  rescue  of  the  Holy  Land  from  the  hands  of  the 
infidels.  That  it  should  have  been  found  on  English 
soil  seems  to  be  proof  that  the  wearer  returned  safely 
to  his  native  land.^* 

In  1774,  after  long  and  urgent  solicitation,  the  Dean 

Migne's  Patrologia  Latina,  vol.  ccxiv,  cols.  179,  180. 
3*  ArchfEologia,  vol.  xix,  London,  1821,  pp.  411,  412. 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


179 


of  Westminster,  Dr.  John  Thomas,  later  Bishop  of 
Rochester,  consented  to  the  opening  of  the  tomb  of 
Edward  I  of  England  (1272-1307)  and  the  disinter- 
ment of  his  body.  The  corpse  was  found  closely  wrapped 
in  coarse,  thick  linen  cloth,  the  face  being  covered 
with  a  face-cloth  of  crimson  sarcinet.^^  The  features 
were  still  in  great  part  well-preserved  though  the  skin 
was  dark  brown,  almost  black.  The  monarch  had  been 
clothed  with  royal  vesture  and  royal  insignia,  but  no 
ring  was  found  on  either  of  the  hands.  The  disinterment 
of  King  Canute's  body,  however,  resulted  in  the  finding 
of  a  ring  set  with  a  large  and  fine  stone,  of  what  par- 
ticular kind  we  are  not  informed. 

When,  in  1562,  the  iconoclastic  Calvinists  of  Caen 
broke  open  the  tomb  of  Matilda,  wife  of  William  the 
Conqueror,  in  the  Abbey  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  there 
was  still  to  be  seen  on  one  of  the  queen's  fingers  a  gold 
ring  set  with  a  fine  sapphire.  This  was  yielded  to  the 
Abbess,  of  the  house  of  Montmorency,  who  later  gave  it 
to  her  father,  the  famous  constable  of  France,  Anne  de 
Montmorency,  when  he  attended  Charles  IX  on  the 
latter's  visit  to  Caen  in  the  following  year.  The  tomb 
of  William  Rufus,  the  Conqueror's  son,  in  Winchester 
Cathedral,  was  opened  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  and 
in  the  dust  of  the  king  lay  a  large  gold  ring.  So  cus- 
tomary was  it  at  this  period  to  have  a  royal  ring  interred 
with  the  sovereign's  body,  that  even  when  Richard  II 
left  special  directions  in  his  will  that  the  crown  and 
sceptre  to  be  buried  with  him  should  not  be  enriched 
with  any  precious  stones,  he  expressly  ordered  that  a 

A  fine,  thin  silk  stuff,  plain,  but  especially  valued  for  its 
softness. 


180 


RINGS 


ring  set  with  a  precious  stone  and  worth  20  marks 
should  be  put  on  his  finger.^^ 

When,  in  1360,  the  Earl  of  Richmond  married  the 
Lady  Blanche,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
King  Edward  III  gave  as  presents  a  ring  with  a  ruby 
and  a  belt  garnished  with  rubies,  emeralds  and  pearls.^^ 
The  rubies  may  have  been  considered  especially  appro- 
priate, since  the  red  rose  was  the  emblem  of  the  House 
of  Lancaster.  More  than  a  century  later,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  VII,  when  Perkin  Warbeck  utilized  his  strik- 
ing resemblance  to  Edward  IV  in  support  of  his  claim 
that  he  was  one  of  the  princes  slain  in  the  Tower,  in 
1483,  by  order  of  Kichard  III,  and  succeeded  in  per- 
suading Edward's  sister,  Margaret,  and  also  King 
James  IV  of  Scotland,  of  the  truth  of  his  pretensions, 
one  of  his  rural  agents  in  England  was  called  in  the 
conspirators'  correspondence  "  The  Merchant  of  the 
Ruby,"  a  designation  designed  to  cast  off  possible  sus- 
picion by  representing  the  agent  to  be  only  a  gem  dealer. 

There  still  exists  in  the  English  records  a  paper 
dated  in  1445,  the  year  of  Margaret  of  Anjou's  mar- 
riage, and  signed  by  King  Henry  VI.  In  this  the  king 
directs  that  a  warrant  of  discharge  be  given  to  "  our 
Trusty  and  Wellbeloved  Squire  John  Merston,  Tres- 
orier  of  our  Chambre  and  Keper  of  our  juwelles,"  for 
sundry  jewels  which  had  been  confided  to  his  care.  The 
following  item  refers  to  the  ring  of  Margaret  of 
Anjou: 

Sir  Joseph  Ayloffe,  "  An  Account  of  the  Body  of  King 
Edward  the  First  As  It  Appeared  in  the  Tomb  in  the  Year 
1774,"  Arch^ologia,  vol.  iii,  London,  1775,  pp.  389-391.  See 
also  Rhymer's  "  Foedera,"  vol.  viii,  p.  75. 

^'^  "  Issues  of  the  Echequer,"  from  Henry  III  to  Henry  VI, 
ed.  by  Frederick  Devon,  London,  1837,  p.  170. 

3«  Rhymer,  "  Foedera,"  London,  1727,  vol.  xi,  p.  76. 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


181 


"A  Kyng  of  Gold,  Garnished  with  a  fayr  Rubie, 
somtyme  Yeven  unto  Us  by  our  Bel  Oncle  the  Cardinal 
of  Englande,  with  the  which  we  were  Sacred  in  the  Day 
of  oure  Coronation  at  Parys,  delivered  unto  Mathew 
Phelip,  to  Breke,  and  thereof  to  make  an  other  Byng 
for  the  Queues  Wedding  Ring." 

There  is  no  mention  here  of  any  engraving  on  the 
stone  of  this  ring,  which  had  been  used  in  1431,  when 
Henry  VI  was  crowned  in  Paris.  If  the  spinel  in  the 
Marlborough  Collection,  engraved  with  a  head  some- 
what resembling  that  of  Henry  VI  on  his  coins,  really 
adorned  this  ring,  the  engraving  may  have  been  executed 
subsequent  to  Henry's  marriage  with  the  unfortunate 
Margaret  of  Anjou. 

Kings  set  with  precious  stones  were  given  as  prizes 
at  the  tournament  held  by  Henry  VII  of  England  in 
1494.  The  prize  for  jousting  was  to  be  a  ruby  ring, 
while  the  best  in  the  tourney  and  the  one  delivering  the 
most  telling  strokes  was  to  be  rewarded  with  a  diamond 
ring.  The  Earl  of  Suffolk,  Thomas  Brandon,  who  later 
married  King  Henry's  daughter  Margaret,  after  the 
death  of  her  first  husband  Louis  XII  of  France,  was 
successful  in  gaining  one  of  the  ruby  rings,  bestowed 
upon  him  by  the  "  Ladie  Margaret,"  his  futm^e  wife, 
and  Sir  Edward  A.  Borough  fought  so  stoutly  in  the 
melee  that  he  was  adjudged  worthy  of  a  diamond  ring. 
An  extra  prize  of  an  emerald  ring  was  given  to  the 
Earl  of  Essex  for  his  valor .^^ 

In  1681  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  presented  to  the  Col- 
lege of  Arms  in  London  the  sword,  dagger,  and  ring 
worn  by  James  IV  of  Scotland  (1473-1513)  at  the 
battle  of  Flodden  Field,  fought  August  22,  1513,  in 


William   Jones,      Finger-Ring  Lore,"  London,  1877, 
p.  197. 


182 


RINGS 


which  he  met  his  death.  This  ring  was  set  with  a  tur- 
quoise and  had  been  sent  to  James  by  the  queen  of 
France,  as  a  pledge  of  friendship  and  regard,  when  she 
solicited  the  good  offices  of  the  Scottish  monarch  with 
Henry  VIII,  who  had  just  laid  siege  to  Terouanne. 
Another  account  states  that  when  the  queen  sent  the 
ring  to  James,  she  charged  him  to  break  a  lance  for 
her  sake.  This  ring  is  said  to  have  been  taken  from 
the  body  of  King  James  by  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
an  ancestor  of  the  donor.^^  The  belief  that  the  turquoise 
protected  those  who  wore  it  from  falls  and  wounds, 
probably  determined  its  selection,  but  the  result  in  this 
case  was  hardly  calculated  to  increase  the  stone's 
prestige. 

On  the  site  of  this  disastrous  defeat  of  the  Scotch 
by  the  English  army  under  the  Earl  of  Surrey,  an 
inscribed  ring  was  found  in  1783.  The  inscription,  in 
Norman  French,  reads :  "  On  est  mal  loiauls  amans  qui 
se  poet  garder  des  maux  disans  "  (Only  a  lover  of  scant 
loyalty  can  escape  calumny) .  The  words  are  disposed 
in  groups  of  two,  and  between  each  pair  is  a  boar's  head, 
the  crest  of  the  Campbells.  This  has  led  to  the  con- 
jecture that  the  ring  belonged  to  the  second  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Argyll,  Archibald  Campbell,  who  met  his  death 
in  the  forefront  of  the  fight. 

At  the  spoliation  of  the  tomb  of  St.  Thomas  a  Becket 
at  Canterbury  in  1538,  among  the  precious  objects 
taken  away  was  "[a  stone  with]  an  angel  of  gold  point- 
ing thereunto,  offered  by  the  King  of  France:  [which 
King  Henry  put]  into  a  ring  and  wore  it  on  his 
thumb."    This  jewel,  containing  a  diamond,  was  the 

Archaeologia,  vol.  xxxiii,  p.  335  sqq.y  London,  1849. 
William  Jones,  "  Finger-Ring  Lore,"  London,  1877, 
p.  478. 


PORTRAIT  OF  HENRY  VIII,  BY  HANS  HOLBEIN,  PAINTED  IN  1540 
Rings  of  identical  form  and  setting  on  index  fingers  of  each  hand  and  on  little  finger  of  left  hand. 
These  are  designed  to  match  exactly  the  jewels  on  his  collar  and  sleeves 
Reale  Galleria  d'Arte  Antica,  Palazzo  Corsini,  Rome 


PORTRAIT  OF  JANE  SEYMOUR  (CA.  1510-1537)  THIRD  WIFE  OF  HENRY  VIII,  AND  MOTHER 
OF  EDWARD  VI,  BY  HANS  HOLBEIN,  THE  YOUNGER 
Rings  set  with  precious  stones  on  index  and  fourth  fingers  of  left  hand 
Kaiserliche  Gemiilde-Galerie,  Vienna 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


183 


most  prized  ornament  of  the  shrine,  and  is  believed  to 
have  been  given  by  Louis  VII  of  France  on  the  occasion 
of  his  visit  in  1179.  Henry  VIII  must  have  tired  of 
his  massive  thumb  ring,  for  in  the  inventory  of  the 
precious  stones  delivered  to  Queen  Mary,  March  10, 
1554,  shortly  after  her  accession,  there  appears  the  fol- 
lowing entry:  "A  collar  of  golde  set  with  sixteen  faire 
diamounts,  whereof  the  Regal  of  France  is  one,  and 
fourteen  Knotts  of  perles,  in  every  Knotte  four  perles.^^ 

Two  pretty  New  Year's  gifts  for  January  first, 
1571,  were  delivered  to  Lady  Mary  Sidney  on  the  last 
day  of  the  year  1570.  One  of  them  was  a  ring  "  set 
with  a  rose  " ;  the  other  was  more  ambitious  in  design, 
being  described  as  "  a  jewell  with  the  storie  of  time  " 
set  with  diamonds  and  rubies,  certainly  an  appropriate 
gift  for  the  day.  This  cost  but  £10  or  $50,  a  much 
larger  sum,  however,  in  those  bygone  days  than  it  is 
accounted  to  be  to-day,  for  the  purchasing  power  of 
money  was  many  times  greater.^^ 

The  earliest  mention  of  the  diamond  ring  given  by 
Elizabeth  to  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  occurs  in  Camden's 
account  of  the  events  of  Elizabeth's  reign.  After  relat- 
ing the  events  that  determined  Mary  to  seek  Elizabeth's 
protection,  Camden  continues: 

She  therefore  sent  John  Beatoun  to  her  [Elizabeth]  with 
the  diamond  she  had  formerly  received  from  her  as  a  symbol  of 
mutual  good-will,  signifying  to  her  that  she  was  about  to  come 
to  England  and  ask  for  aid  in  case  her  subjects  continued  to 
make  war  against  her.^^ 

*2  Gasquet,  "  Henry  VIII  and  the  English  Monasteries," 
London,  1906,  p.  409.    Cott.  MS.  Tib.  e.  viii,  f.  269. 

Third  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  Historical 
Manuscripts,  London,  1872,  p.  231. 

Camdeni,  "Annales  rerum  Anglicarum  et  Hibernicarum 
regnante  Elizabetha,"  Francofurti,  1616,  pp.  151,  152. 


184 


RINGS 


This  is  said  to  have  been  a  gimmal-ring,  two  dia- 
monds joining  together  to  form  a  heart.  One  half  was 
kept  by  Elizabeth  who  gave  the  other  half  to  Mary. 
This  appeal  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Virgin  Queen, 
and  Mary's  hope,  were  in  vain,  for  "  she  cutt  off  her 
head  for  all  that  "  as  Aubrey  dryly  puts  it/^ 

Several  epigrams  on  this  diamond  were  written  by 
the  Scotch  poet  and  publicist  George  Buchanan  (1506- 
1582),  the  best  being  as  follows; 

Quod  te  jampridem  fruitur,  videt,  ac  amat  absens, 
Haec  pignus  cordis  gemma,  et  imago  mei  est. 

Non  est  candidior,  non  est  haec  purior  illo, 
Quamvis  dura  magis,  non  magis  firma. 

This  has  been  rendered: 

The  gem  which  saw  thee  near  and  loves  thee  still, 
Is  pledge  and  image  of  my  heart  and  will. 

My  heart  is  not  less  white  or  pure  than  this, 
And  though  less  hard,  'tis  quite  as  firm  I  wis. 

A  memorial  ring  was  sent  by  Mary  of  Scotland,  just 
before  her  execution  at  Fotheringay  Castle,  February  8, 
1587,  to  her  faithful  follower  and  kinsman.  Lord  John 
Hamilton,  with  an  affectionate  message  and  her  last 
farewell.  This  ring,  set  with  a  sapphire,  was  handed 
down  from  generation  to  generation  in  the  Hamilton 
family,  and  was  seen,  in  1857,  at  Hamilton  Palace,  by 
Miss  Agnes  Strickland.  She  described  the  sapphire  as 
being  large,  of  rectangular  form,  and  cut  with  a  number 
of  facets,  a  kind  of  rose-cutting;  the  setting  was  of  blue 
enamelled  gold  in  the  style  favored  by  sixteenth  century 

4^  In  Thoms'  "Anecdotes  and  Traditions,"  London,  1839, 
p.  107  (Camden  Soc.  Pub.). 

46  Buchanan,  "  Poems,"  St.  Andrews,  1594,  p.  117. 


PORTRAIT  OF  MARY,  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS  (1542-1587).  FRENCH  SCHOOL 
Rings  on  the  second  joint  of  fourth  finger  of  right  hand,  and  on  little  finger  of  the  same  hand 
Museo  del  Prado,  Madrid 


PORTRAIT  OF  QUEEN  ELIZABETH,  BY  TIIK  FLKAHSIl  J'ASM  [:r  TJ  CAS  DE  HEERE 
On  little  finger  of  left  hand,  ring  set  with  a  large,  oblong,  table-cut  stone 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


185 


goldsmiths.^^  It  might  be  looked  upon  as  a  noteworthy 
coincidence,  that  as  a  sapphire  was  a  memorial  of  Mary's 
death,  another  sapphire  was  the  token  to  her  son,  James  I, 
of  Elizabeth's  death  and  his  accession  to  the  throne  of 
England. 

On  the  night  before  her  execution,  Mary  Stuart  found 
an  opportunity  to  ask  her  apothecary,  a  Monsieur 
Gorion,  whether  he  could  safely  convey  a  letter  and  two 
diamonds  to  those  for  whom  they  were  intended,  and 
whether  he  would  promise  to  perform  this  service  faith- 
fully. He  assented,  saying  that  he  could  make  some 
drug  in  which  the  objects  might  be  safely  concealed,  so 
that  he  could  carry  them  away  with  him.  One  of  these 
diamonds  was  to  be  given  to  Mendoza,  for  a  long  time 
Spanish  ambassador  to  the  court  of  Elizabeth;  the  other, 
and  larger  one,  was  destined  for  Philip  II  of  Spain. 
This  was  to  be  received  as  "  a  sign  that  she  was  dying 
for  the  truth,  and  was  also  meant  to  bespeak  his  care 
for  her  friends  and  servants." 

Of  rings  which  have  been  treated  as  sacred  relics, 
none  can  be  said  to  recall  a  more  painful  tragedy  than 
one  donated  to  the  monastery-church  of  the  Escurial. 
On  April  15,  1587,  the  Spanish  king  Philip  II  had  a 
nocturne  and  a  requiem  sung  in  the  church  in  memory 
of  the  unfortunate  Mary  of  Scotland.  When  the  echoes 
of  the  solemn  chants  had  died  away,  the  king  gave  to 
the  abbot  a  ring  set  with  a  diamond  which  had  belonged 
to  the  unhappy  victim,  with  the  injunction  that  it  should 
be  placed  among  the  sacred  relics  and  preserved  as  "  a 
symbol  of  the  purity  and  the  firm  faith  of  this  saintly 

Agnes  Strickland,  "  History  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots," 
London,  1873,  vol.  ii,  p.  M6. 

James  Anthony  Froude,  "  History  of  England,"  London, 
1899,  vol.  xii,  chap.  69,  pp.  248,  M9, 


186 


RINGS 


queen."  This  ring,  or  at  least  the  large  diamond  of 
its  setting,  must  have  been  the  farewell  gift  which  we 
have  just  noted. 

Although  not  a  betrothal  ring,  that  given  by  Queen 
Elizabeth  to  the  Earl  of  Essex  was  most  certainly  a  love 
token.  When  this  nobleman  was  high  in  the  queen's 
favor  she  bestowed  upon  him  a  gold  ring  set  with  a 
sardonyx  cut  with  her  portrait ;  giving  him,  at  the  same 
time,  a  solemn  promise  that  whatever  charges  might  be 
brought  against  him  she  would  accord  him  her  pardon 
if  he  sent  her  this  ring.  Some  years  later,  Essex — 
who  in  the  meanwhile  had  lost  the  queen's  favor — 
was  impeached  for  high  treason  and  condemned  to  death. 
In  this  extremity,  he  endeavored  to  find  some  means  of 
transmitting  to  the  queen  the  ring  she  had  given  him. 
Fearing  to  trust  his  keepers  with  the  execution  of  his 
wish,  Essex  found  no  better  way  than  to  throw  the  ring 
to  a  boy  who  was  passing  the  prison,  directing  him  to 
give  it  to  Lady  Scrope,  Lady  Nottingham's  sister.  Un- 
fortunately for  Essex,  the  boy  gave  the  ring,  by  mis- 
take, to  Lady  Nottingham,  whose  husband  was  one  of 
his  bitterest  enemies,  so  that  the  token  never  reached 
the  queen,  who  was  convinced  that  her  former  favorite 
was  too  proud  and  obstinate  to  seek  her  mercy.  She 
thereupon  left  him  to  his  fate.  Years  afterwards,  when 
Lady  Nottingham  was  on  her  death-bed,  she  asked  for 
the  queen  and  confessed  that  she  had  failed  to  deliver 
the  ring  sent  to  her  by  Essex.  This  confession  aroused 
the  queen's  wrath  to  such  an  extent  that  she  burst  forth 
in  violent  reproaches  and  rushed  from  the  room  exclaim- 
ing: "  God  may  forgive  you;  I  never  shall!  "  The 
proud  heart  of  the  virgin  queen  was  broken  by  this 

C.  Justi,  "  Felipe  II  amigo  del  arte  " ;  Espana  moderna, 
April,  1914,  pp.  26,  27. 


Gold  ring  set  with  an  oval  cameo-portrait,  on  onyx,  of  Queen 
Elizabeth.  Sixteenth  Century.  Two  views 
British  Museum 


Gold  ring  set  with  pearls  pierced  and  threaded;  two  views. 
Venetian  (?)  late  Seventeenth  Century 
British  Museum 


Multiple  silver  rings.  Four  hoops  connected  by  three  ver- 
tical bars;  one  of  these  is  set  with  two  corals  and  a  glass  paste. 
North  African  (?) 

British  Museum 


PUZZLE  OR  MAGIC  RINGS,  PLAIN  AND  JEWELLED 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


187 


revelation,  and,  weighed  down  by  remorse  for  the  death 
of  Essex,  she  expired  a  few  weeks  later. 

Quite  recently  this  historic  Essex  ring  has  found 
its  way  to  the  auction-room,  and  to  judge  from  the 
price  it  brought,  the  purchaser  must  have  been  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  the  legend  concerning  it,  as  its  merely 
artistic  qualities — which  are  in  no  wise  remarkable — 
and  the  fact  that  it  is  incidentally  a  product  of  sixteenth 
century  art  would  scarcely  suffice  to  justify  the  amount 
paid  for  it.  The  sale  took  place  at  Christie's  in  London, 
on  May  18,  1911,  and  after  spirited  bidding  the  ring 
was  adjudged  for  $17,060.  A  firm  of  dealers  in  an- 
tiquities were  the  nominal  purchasers,  but  they  are  said 
to  have  acted  for  Lord  Michelson  of  Hollingly,  a  baron 
in  the  lately  overthrown  Kingdom  of  Portugal,  and  the 
senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Stern  Bros.,  of  London. 
This  ring  is  stated  to  have  been  bequeathed  by  mother 
to  daughter  in  a  long  line  of  Essex's  descendants,  be- 
ginning with  his  daughter  Lady  Francis  Devereux. 
Finally  it  came  to  Louisa,  daughter  of  John,  Earl  of 
Greville,  and  wife  of  Thomas  Thyme,  second  Viscount 
Weymouth  and  great-grandfather  of  the  late  owner. 

Some  authorities  do  not  think  that  the  story  of  the 
Essex  ring  has  a  satisfactory  historical  foundation.^^ 
It  first  appears  in  a  book  published  about  1650  and  en- 
titled "  History  of  the  most  renowned  Queen  Elizabeth 
and  her  great  Favourite,  the  Earl  of  Essex.  In  Two 
Parts.  A  Romance."  In  1658  Francis  Osborn  repeats 
it  in  his  "  Traditional  Memoires  of  Elizabeth."  It  was 
even  treated  dramatically  by  John  Banks  (fl.  1696)  in 
his  play  "  The  Unhappy  Favourite."  Certain  later 
writers  claim  to  have  learned  of  it  through  trustworthy 

See  Dictionary  of  National  Biography,  vol.  xiv,  London, 
1888,  pp.  437,  438 ;  in  Sir  Sidney  Lee's  article  on  Essex. 


188 


RINGS 


informants,  as  for  example,  Louis  Aubery,  Sieur  de 
Maurier,  who  published  in  Paris,  in  1680,  a  history  of 
Holland  and  therein  states  that  Sir  Dudley  Carleton 
told  the  story  to  Prince  Maurice  of  Saxony.  In  the 
English  translation  of  this  work  the  episode  has  been 
omitted.  Still  later,  at  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, it  is  given  by  Lady  Elizabeth  Spelman  on  the 
authority,  as  she  alleged,  of  Sir  Robert  Carey,  brother 
of  Lady  Scrope.  In  earlier  versions  the  ring  was  repre- 
sented to  have  been  sent  directly  by  Essex  to  Lady 
Nottingham;  in  Lady  Spelman's  recital,  however,  as 
we  have  already  noted,  Essex  instructs  the  boy  to  whom 
he  entrusts  the  ring  to  deliver  it  to  Lady  Scrope,  sister 
of  Lady  Nottingham.  It  is  suggested  that  this  varia- 
tion was  made  to  offset  the  objection  that  Essex  would 
never  have  chosen  his  enemy.  Lady  Nottingham,  as  an 
intermediary  between  himself  and  the  queen.  Man- 
ningham,  in  his  "  Diary,"  the  only  contemporary  who 
alludes  to  a  ring  in  connection  with  Essex's  relations 
with  Elizabeth,  only  states  that  "  the  queen  wore  till 
her  death  a  ring  given  her  by  Essex."  Possibly  this 
fact  may  have  served  as  a  nucleus  for  the  romantic  tale. 

A  portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  elaborately  be- 
pearled  as  usual,  the  work  of  the  Flemish  painter, 
Lucas  De  Heere,  shows  her  with  a  ring  on  the  little 
finger  of  her  left  hand.  It  is  set  with  an  oblong,  table- 
cut  stone.  This  interesting  portrait,  which  is  in  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York,  while  con- 
forming generally  to  the  type  with  which  we  are  famil- 
iar, differs  in  some  respects  therefrom.  The  very  slender 
neck,  the  delicacy  of  form  and  face,  may,  of  course,  rep- 
resent mannerisms  of  the  artist. 

The  sapphire  set  in  the  ring  thrown  out  of  the  win- 
dow of  Queen  Elizabeth's  death  chamber  by  Lady 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


189 


Scrope  to  her  brother  Robert  Carey,  as  a  signal  that 
the  queen  was  dead,  so  that  he  might  be  the  first  to  bear 
the  news  to  her  impatient  successor,  James  I,  was  ex- 
hibited in  the  great  Loan  Exhibition  of  Ancient  and 
Modern  Jewellery  shown  at  the  South  Kensington 
Museum  in  London,  in  1872.  As  there  shown,  this 
historic  sapphire  was  the  central  ornament  of  a  dia- 
mond star,  or  cinque-foil.  The  original  ring  was  given 
to  John,  Earl  of  Orrery,  by  the  Duchess  of  Bucking- 
ham, natural  daughter  of  James  II,  and  the  small 
brilliants  surrounding  it  in  its  present  setting  are  the 
same  as  those  which  were  about  it  in  the  ring.^^ 

By  the  terms  of  his  will,  dated  December  18,  1630, 
Sir  Edward  Coke,  of  God  wick,  bequeathed  among  other 
jewels  two  of  historic  significance.  One  of  these  was 
a  ring  "set  with  a  great  Turkey  (turquoise),  which 
King  Henry  the  Eighth  used  to  wear,  and  was  painted 
with  it  on  his  forefinger."  The  other  jewel,  also  a  ring, 
is  curiously  suggestive  when  we  recall  that  an  attempt 
(unsuccessful,  of  course)  had  been  made  to  poison  the 
unfortunate  Sir  Thomas  Overbury  with  diamond  dust, 
before  poison  of  a  more  effective  sort  was  administered 
to  him.  The  ring  in  question  is  described  here  as  set 
with  "a  Diamon  cut  with  faucetts  (facets)"  and  the 
statement  is  added  that  it  had  been  given  to  Sir  Edward 
by  Anne  of  Denmark,  Queen  of  James  I,  "  for  the 
discovery  of  the  poisoning  of  Sir  Thomas  Overbury." 

A  gold  ring,  said  to  have  been  one  of  five  such  rings 
given  by  Charles  I  to  Bishop  Juxon,  on  the  scaffold, 
just  before  the  king's  execution,  was  shown  in  the  Loan 

Catalogue  of  the  Loan  Exhibition  of  Ancient  and  Modern 
Jewellery  and  Personal  Ornaments,  1872,  London,  1873,  p.  33, 
No.  137. 

Historical  Manuscripts  Commission,  Report  of  MSS.  in 
various  collections,  vol.  iv,  Dublin,  1907,  p.  323. 


190 


RINGS 


Collection  exhibited  in  the  South  Kensington  Museum, 
in  London,  in  1872.  The  statement  is  made  that  this 
ring  was  presented  by  Bishop  Juxon  to  Sir  John  Hal- 
loway,  and  from  him  passed  into  the  possession  of  the 
Dalby  family.  The  ring  bears  a  death's  head  in  white 
enamel  on  a  black  ground,  and  has  the  motto,  "  Behold 
the  ende  " ;  around  the  edge  is  the  inscription,  "  Bather 
death  then  f  als  fayth  " ;  at  the  back  are  the  initials  "  M  " 
and  "  L,"  tied  with  a  mourning  ribbon.^^ 

The  Verney  Bing,"  with  a  portrait  of  Charles  I 
of  England,  is,  if  genuine,  the  only  relic  of  a  heroic 
tragedy.  It  is  said  to  have  been  bestowed  by  Charles  I 
upon  Sir  Edmund  Verney,  one  of  his  most  faithful 
followers  in  the  perils  of  the  Civil  War.  Sir  Edmund 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Edgehill,  in  1642,  where  the 
Cavaliers  were  utterly  defeated,  but  even  in  death  he 
still  held  the  royal  standard  in  his  grasp.  The  ring  was 
taken  from  his  hand,  and  the  body  abandoned;  it  was 
never  recovered.  As  he  was  helped  into  the  world  by  a 
Csesarean  operation,  it  became  a  common  saying  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Edgehill  that  Sir  Edmund  was  neither 
born  not  buried.^* 

With  that  striking  indifference  to  moral  right  and 
wrong  so  characteristic  of  Charles  II  of  England,  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  bestow  a  choice  ring  from  his  own 
hand  upon  the  notorious  Jeffreys,  when  the  latter  was 
leaving  London  on  one  of  his  circuits  always  marked 

South  Kensington  Museum:  Catalogue  of  the  Loan  Col- 
lection, 1872;  London,  1873,  p.  72,  No.  838.  The  ring  is 
figured  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazme  for  1797,  vol.  Ixvii,  pt.  ii 
(Oct.),  on  plate  opposite  p.  827,  figs.  5  and  6;  see  also  pp.  830 
and  1017. 

Catalogue  of  the  Special  Exhibition  of  Works  of  Art  at 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,"  section  33,  "  Mis- 
cellaneous Rings,"  by  R.  H.  S.  Smith,  p.  637. 


ENGLISH  RINGS 


191 


by  the  browbeating  of  witnesses  and  accused,  and  the 
imposition  of  capital  sentences,  wherever  possible.  It 
was  at  a  somewhat  later  date,  in  1685,  just  after  the 
accession  of  James  II,  that  Jeffreys  conducted  the  trials 
of  the  unfortunate  Duke  of  Monmouth's  adherents, 
which  came  to  be  known  as  the  "  Bloody  Assize."  This 
fact  of  the  presentation  was  published  in  the  Royal 
Gazette,  thus  notably  strengthening  Jeffreys'  prestige. 
So  general,  however,  was  the  reprobation  of  his  heart- 
less and  bloodthirsty  administration  of  his  judicial  office 
that  the  ring  was  called  "  Jeffreys'  blood-stone." 

In  March,  1748,  as  some  ploughmen  were  tilling  a 
field  seven  miles  from  MuUingor,  County  Westmeath, 
Ireland,  they  discovered  a  grave,  the  bottom,  sides  and 
ends  of  which  were  formed  each  of  a  single  slab  of  stone. 
Within  the  grave  were  the  bones  of  a  man  of  gigantic 
stature,  and  also  an  urn  and  a  valuable  ring,  set  with 
twenty-five  diamonds.  Bishop  Pococke,  treating  of  this 
ring,  mentions  the  fact  that  Rosa  Failge,  eldest  son  of 
Cathoir  More,  known  as  Cathoir  the  Great,  who  reigned 
in  122  A.D.,  was  called  the  "  Hero  of  Rings,"  but  the 
writer  adds  that  the  ring  could  scarcely  have  belonged 
to  him,  since  diamonds  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
known  in  Ireland  at  this  early  date.^^ 

A  most  interesting  Washington  relic  is  a  pearl  and 
gold  ring  made  in  his  lifetime  and  containing  a  lock  of 
his  hair  placed  beneath  a  conical  glass.  This  is  encircled 
by  a  setting  of  blue  and  white  enamel,  a  square  of  red 
being  set  at  each  corner,  and  around  this  a  circle  of 
thirteen  pearls,  the  number  of  the  original  States.  This 

Gilbert  Barnet  (Bishop  of  Salisbury),  "History  of  His 
Own  Time,"  London,  1724,  1736.  First  published  by  his  son 
Thomas,  after  the  bishop's  death  in  1715. 

Archagologia,  vol.  ii,  pp.  32-35,  London,  1773.  Figured 
on  plate  i,  figs.  1  and  2. 


192 


RINGS 


ring  was  given  by  Washington  to  Lieut.  Robert  Somers. 
The  latter  lost  his  life  while  fighting  the  Algerene 
pirates  in  Tripoli,  but  before  his  departure  he  confided 
the  ring  to  the  care  of  his  sister,  Sarah  Keen.  It  is 
now  owned  by  Vice-Chancellor  E.  B.  Learning  of 
Camden,  New  Jersey,  who  inherited  it  from  his  paternal 
grandmother,  an  heir  to  Somers'  estate.  Only  two 
other  rings  containing  Washington's  hair  are  known  of, 
one  in  Washington's  Headquarters  at  Newburgh  on 
the  Hudson,  the  other  in  the  Boston  Museum.^^ 

In  far-away  Sweden  there  has  been  preserved  a  his- 
toric Washington  relic.  This  is  a  ring  given  by  the 
Bevolutionary  leader  to  Lafayette  before  the  latter's 
return  to  France  after  the  victorious  Yorktown  cam- 
paign. The  ring  passed  from  Lafayette  to  his  intimate 
friend,  Baron  Erik  Magnus  Stael  von  Holstein,  Swed-^ 
ish  ambassador  to  France.  The  latter,  on  a  visit  to  his 
native  land  gave  it  to  his  brother.  Major  Bogislaus  Stael 
von  Holstein,  in  whose  family  it  was  transmitted  as  an 
heirloom  until  it  reached  the  hands  of  the  maternal  grand- 
father of  the  present  owner,  Mr.  GostaFrolen  of  Falun, 
Sweden.  The  ring  is  of  gold  and  is  set  with  a  miniature 
portrait  of  Washington. 

It  is  said  that  two  other  rings  were  given  by  Wash- 
ington about  the  same  time  to  two  Swedish  noblemen, 
who  had  served  as  adjutants  to  Bochambeau.  The 
presentation  occurred  at  a  banquet  given  in  their  honor, 
just  before  their  departure  for  their  native  land,  at  the 
City  Tavern  in  Philadelphia,  JSTovember  11,  1782.  In 
bestowing  these  gifts  Washington  is  said  to  have  used 
the  following  words:  "  I  am  happy  to  be  here  amongst 
men  belonging  to  the  race  of  my  own  early  ancestors." 
All  trace  of  these  rings  has  been  lost. 

George  Frederick  Kunz  and  Charles  H.  Stevenson,  "  The 
Book  of  the  Pearl,"  New  York,  1908,  p.  438. 


V 


BETROTHAL  (ENGAGEMENT)  RINGS, 

WEDDING  (NUPTIAL)  RINGS,  AND 
LOVE  TOKENS 

SPECIAL  wedding-rings,  as  we  understand  them, 
were  not  used  at  an  early  period,  the  espousal  ring 
being  employed  at  the  wedding  ceremony  also.  At  a 
later  time,  a  signet  was  set  in  the  anulus  pronubuSj  or 
betrothal  ring,  to  signify  that  the  spouse  was  to  have 
the  right  of  sealing  up  the  household  goods,  and  occa- 
sionally a  small  key  formed  part  of  the  ring,  with  a 
similar  significance.  We  have  a  testimony  to  this  view 
in  the  words  of  the  marriage  ceremony:  "  With  all  my 
worldly  goods  I  thee  endow."  The  wives  of  our  day 
are  quite  disposed  to  accept  this  passage  in  its  literal 
sense,  although  some  may  incline  to  a  more  liberal  in- 
terpretation of  the  promise  to  love,  honor  and  obey  their 
husbands.  The  ring  as  a  pledge  of  love  is  said  to  be 
first  mentioned  in  Roman  literature  by  Plautus  in  his 
"  Miles  Gloriosus  "  (Act  IV,  sc.  i,  v.  11)  ;  this  passage, 
however,  does  not  refer  to  a  nuptial  ring,  but  rather 
to  a  love  token. 

Somewhat  distantly  related  to  the  betrothal  or  wed- 
ding rings  were  those  given  by  lovers  to  the  objects  of 
their  affection.  Of  such  a  ring  the  Roman  poet  Ovid 
writes,  apostrophizing  it  as  "a  ring  soon  destined  to 
encircle  the  finger  of  a  beauteous  girl,  a  ring  having  no 
worth  except  the  love  of  the  giver."  It  was  to  be  a 
gift  to  the  poet's  ladylove  Corinna.^    The  ring  sent  by 

^  Federici  Augusti  Junii,  "  De  annulo  Romanorum  spon- 
salitio,"  Lipsiae,  1744,  citing  Ovidii,  lib.  ii,  Amor.  Eleg.  xv. 

13  193 


194 


RINGS 


a  fair  lady,  as  a  token  of  love  to  a  handsome  soldier,  in 
the  "  Miles  Gloriosus  "  of  Plautus  was  also  of  this  class. 

The  custom  of  placing  the  betrothal  or  wedding 
ring  upon  the  fourth  finger  seems  undoubtedly  to  owe 
its  origin  to  the  fancy  that  a  special  nerve,  or  vein,  ran 
directly  from  this  finger  to  the  heart.  Macrobius,  in  his 
Saturnalia,^  alludes  to  the  belief  in  the  following  words: 
"  Because  of  this  nerve,  the  newly  betrothed  places  the 
ring  on  this  finger  of  his  spouse,  as  though  it  were  a 
representation  of  the  heart."  Macrobius  asserts  that 
he  derived  his  information  from  an  Egyptian  priest. 

It  has  been  conjectured  that  this  was  not  the  real 
source  of  the  custom,  but  that  in  the  church  service  it 
was  usual  for  the  Christian  priest  to  touch  three  fingers 
successively  with  the  ring  while  saying:  "  In  the  name 
of  the  Father,  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and 
then  to  place  it  upon  the  last  finger  touched.  We 
know  that  this  was  the  usage  in  the  bestowal  of  episcopal 
rings,  and  later  with  wedding  rings,  but  the  express 
statement  cited  from  the  pagan  writer  Macrobius  shows 
that  in  the  earlier  marriage  or  betrothal  ceremony  this 
custom  must  have  had  an  entirely  different  origin. 

During  the  reign  of  George  I  of  England  it  was 
not  unusual  to  wear  the  wedding  ring  on  the  thumb, 
although  it  had  been  placed  on  the  fourth  finger  at  the 
marriage  ceremony.  Possibly  this  custom  may  have 
arisen  because  exceptionally  large  wedding  rings  were 
favored  by  fashion  at  that  time.  That  wedding  rings 
were  often  worn  on  the  thumb  in  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century  is  proved  by  the  lines  from  Samuel 
Butler's  Hudibras  quoted  on  another  page.^ 

Ecclesiastical  rituals  in  France  from  the  eleventh  to 

*  Saturnalia,  lib.  vii,  cap.  13. 
3  See  page  222. 


PORTRAIT  OF  AN  UNKNOWN  WOMAN  BY  PANTOJA  DE  LA  CRUZ 
Rings  on  thumb  and  index  of  right  hand,  and  on  fourth  and  little  fingers  of  left  hand 
Museo  del  Prado,  Madrid 


PORTRAIT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  MARY,  DAUGHTER  OF  CHARLES  V  AND  WIFE  OF  MAXIMILIAN  II, 

BY  JUAN  PANTOJA  DE  LA  CRUZ 
Two  rings  on  index  and  one  on  little  finger  of  right  hand;  one  on  index  of  left  hand;  all  set  with  precious  stones 

Museo  del  Prado,  Madrid 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  195 


the  fifteenth  century  prove,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
that  the  nuptial  ring  was  to  be  placed  on  the  right  hand 
of  the  bride,  in  most  of  the  dioceses  upon  the  middle 
finger  of  this  hand,  but  in  the  diocese  of  Liege  on  the 
fourth  finger.  As  Isidore  of  Seville,  writing  in  the 
early  part  of  the  seventh  century,  declares  that  the 
betrothal  ring  was  put  on  the  fourth  finger,  and  repeats 
the  Roman  fancy  as  to  the  vein  intimately  connecting 
this  particular  finger  with  the  heart,^  it  seems  likely 
that  this  rule  was  generally  followed  in  the  Roman 
Empire  up  to  its  end,  and  even  later  in  some  parts  of 
what  had  once  been  Roman  provinces,  while  the  early 
French  rules  were  derived  from  a  Gallic  usage  which 
had  never  been  supplanted  by  the  Roman  one.^  That 
the  Gauls  and  Britons  of  the  first  century  wore  their 
rings  on  the  middle  finger  is  already  noted  by  Pliny 

A  gold  ring,  a  unique  relic  of  Anglo-Saxon  times 
in  England,  was  found  in  an  ancient  burial  place  at 
Harnham  Hill,  near  Salisbury/  It  was  on  a  finger 
bone  of  the  left  hand  of  a  skeleton,  and  resembles  exactly 
our  wedding-ring  of  to-day.  In  the  same  cemetery  was 
unearthed  a  twisted  ring  of  silver,  a  mere  band  twice 
encircling  the  finger;  a  section  of  the  finger-bone  re- 
mains within  the  ring.    These  relics  are  believed  to 

^  Isidori,  "  De  ecclesiasticis  officiis,"  lib.  xx,  cap.  8,  in 
Migne's  "  Patrologia  Latina,"  vol.  Ixxxiii,  cols.  811,  812. 

^  Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  anneaux  dans  Fantiquite  romaine, 
et  dans  les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age,"  Paris,  1896,  pp.  96— 
98;  Memoires  de  PAcademie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles  Lettres, 
vol.  XXXV,  pt.  2. 

^  Naturalis  Historia,  lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  24. 
John  Yonge  Akerman,  "An  Account  of  Excavations  in  an 
Anglo-Saxon  Burial  Ground  at  Hamham  Plill  Near  Salisbury," 
in  Archaeologia,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  266,  and  Plate  XII  (opp.  p.  278). 


196 


RINGS 


date  from  the  seventh  century.  On  or  near  the  skeleton 
with  which  this  silver  ring  was  found  were  several  amber 
beads;  the  remains  were  evidently  those  of  an  elderly 
person,  although  of  one  not  over  55  years  of  age,  accord- 
ing to  Professor  Owen. 

That  part  of  the  Order  of  Matrimony  relating  to 
the  marriage  vows  and  to  the  wedding  ring,  in  the 
Sarum  Rite  or  Use  current  in  England  in  pre-Refor- 
mation  times,  runs  as  follows,  after  the  bride  and  groom 
have  clasped  hands  :^ 

Ich  N.  take  the  N.  to  my  wedded  wyf,  to  haven  and 
to  holden  fro  this  day  forward,  for  betre  for  wors,  for 
rychere  for  porere,  in  syknesse  and  in  heithe,  til  deth  us 
departe,  and  theerto  y  plith  the  my  trewthe. 

Then  the  woman : 

Ich  N.  take  the  N.  to  my  wedded  hosebund,  to  haven 
and  to  holden  fro  this  day  forward,  for  betre  and  for 
wors,  for  rychere  and  for  porere,  to  be  boneyre  and 
buxum  .  .  .  and  at  borde,  till  dethe  us  departe  and 
thereto  y  plith  the  my  trewthe. 

Then  let  the  man  lay  gold,  silver,  and  a  ring  on  a 
dish  or  book ;  and  let  the  Priest  ask  if  the  ring  hath  been 
blessed  already ;  if  it  be  answered  not,  then  let  the  Priest 
bless  the  ring. 

Bless,  O  Lord,  this  ring  (looking  at  it)  which  we 
hallow  in  Thy  Holy  Name,  that  whosoever  she  be  that 
shall  wear  it  may  be  steadfast  in  Thy  peace  and  abide 
in  Thy  will,  and  live,  increase,  and  grow  old  in  Thy 
love,  and  let  the  length  of  her  days  be  multiplied. 

But  if  the  ring  shall  have  been  already  blessed,  then, 

^  "  The  Sarum  Missal  done  into  English  by  A.  Harford 
Pearson,"  London,  1844,  p.  552.  The  directions  and  blessings 
are  translated  from  the  Latin ;  the  vows  of  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom are  from  an  old  English  version. 


Gold  ring  in  which  are  inserted  representations  of  two  winged  figures  cut  in  intaglio  in  a  brown 
chalcedony.   Antique  workmanship.    See  page  363 
Collection  of  B.  G.  Fairchild,  Esq.,  New  York  City 


Locket  ring,  opening  at  the  bezel  and  on  the  sides,  leaving  room  for  the  introduction  of  hair,  or 
tiny  portraits.   When  closed  the  ring  appears  to  be  plain  and  smooth 


Antique  Syrian  ring  of  bronze,  wet  with  a  yellowish  green  paste.    Half  of  the  circlet  has 

broken  away 


Archa?ologia,  vol.  xxxv,  pi.  opp.  p.  278 


WEDDING  RINGS  FROM  SYRIAN  TOMBS  OF  CHALCEDONY,  AGATE, 
AND  BANDED  AGATE 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  197 


as  soon  as  the  man  have  laid  it  on  the  book,  let  the  Priest 
take  the  ring  and  deliver  it  to  the  man ;  and  let  the  man 
receive  it  in  his  right  hand,  with  the  first  three  fingers, 
holding  the  right  hand  of  the  Bride  with  his  left  hand, 
and  say,  after  the  Priest: 

With  this  ryng  ich  the  wedde,  and  with  my  body  ich 
the  honoure  and  with  al  my  gold  ich  the  do  were  J* 

And  then  let  the  bridegroom  put  the  ring  on  the 
thumb  of  the  Bride,  saying — 

In  the  Name  of  the  Father;  (on  the  first  finger) 
and  of  the  Son;  (on  the  second  finger)  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  (on  the  third  ^nger).  Amen. 

And  there  let  him  leave  it,  because  in  that  finger 
there  is  a  certain  vein  which  reaches  to  the  heart ;  and  by 
the  purity  of  the  silver  is  signified  the  inward  affection 
which  ought  ever  to  be  fresh  between  them. 

In  the  modern  Protestant  Episcopal  service,  the 
bestowal  of  the  ring  is  ordered  as  follows; 

Then  shall  they  again  loose  their  hands;  and  the 
Man  shall  give  unto  the  Woman  a  Ring.  And  the  Min- 
ister, taking  the  Ring,  shall  deliver  it  unto  the  Man,  to 
put  it  upon  the  fourth  finger  of  the  Woman's  left  hand. 
And  the  Man  holding  the  Ring  there,  and  taught  by 
the  Minister,  shall  say: 

With  this  Ring  I  thee  wed,  and  with  all  my  worldly 
goods  I  thee  endow:  In  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  ring  is  first  given  by  the 
man  to  the  woman,  then  taken  from  her  by  the  priest' 
who  returns  it  to  the  man,  upon  which  the  latter  puts 
it  on  the  fourth  finger  of  the  woman's  left  hand. 

Four  fine  specimens  of  later  Byzantine  work  in 
ring-making  are  in  the  British  Museum.  These  are  all 
marriage-rings  of  massive  gold,  the  designs  being  simi- 


198 


RINGS 


lar,  with  certain  variations.  The  bezels  bear  engraved 
figures  of  Christ  alone,  or  of  Christ  and  the  Virgin, 
bestowing  a  blessing  upon  the  newly  wedded  pair;  be- 
neath is  the  Greek  word  oyLovoia  (or  ofio^mt),  signifying 
their  spiritual  union.  All  but  one  have  on  the  hoop 
in  Greek  characters  the  inscription:  "  My  peace  I  give 
unto  you"  (John,  xiv,  27).  On  the  remaining  ring 
there  is  on  the  hoop  a  decoration  in  niello,  depicting 
very  roughly  scenes  from  the  Gospel.  The  character 
of  the  work  indicates  that  it  probably  belongs  to  the 
tenth  century.^  A  massive  gold  ring  found  not  long 
since  in  Mainz,  bears  a  Greek  inscription  showing  that 
it  was  executed  for  the  nuptials  of  King  Stephen 
Radislav  of  Servia  (1228-1234!)  with  Anna  Comnena, 
daughter  of  Emperor  Theodore  Angelus  Comnenus, 
Duke  of  Thessalonica,  the  region  of  the  Saloniki  of 
to-day.  The  inscription  on  this  early  thirteenth  century 
ring  of  Byzantine  workmanship  is  nielloed  on  the  gold.^^ 
Some  interesting  inscriptions  appear  on  certain  of 
the  Greek  betrothal  rings  in  the  collection  of  the  British 
Museum.  A  gold  ring  of  about  the  fourth  century  B.C. 
bears  a  Greek  inscription  which  may  be  rendered  as 
follows :  To  her  who  excells  not  only  in  virtue  and 
prudence,  but  also  in  wisdom."  In  marked  contrast  to 
this  rather  elaborate  dedication  is  the  inscription  on 
another  ring,  which  bears  the  single  word  ^eT^i "  Honey." 
It  strikes  us  strangely  enough  to  find  this  particular 
term  of  endearment,  so  freely  used  by  the  Negroes,  on 
a  ring  from  classic  times.  Perhaps  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  these  inscriptions  is  on  a  late  Greek  ring  and  runs : 

^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Byzantine  Art  and  Archaeology,"  Oxford, 
1911,  p.  544,  fig.  329. 
Ihid.,  p.  546. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  199 


"  I  rejoice  in  the  gift  because  of  the  affection  of  the 
giver."^^ 

The  custom  of  bestowing  a  ring  upon  the  betrothed 
bride  has  been  traced  back  in  Rome  to  the  second  cen- 
tury B.C.  Plain  iron  rings  were  first  used  for  this  pur- 
pose and  they  were  still  favored  even  when  the  wearing 
of  gold  rings  had  become  general  among  certain  classes 
of  the  Roman  citizens.  However,  in  the  course  of  the 
second  century  of  our  era,  and  perhaps  earlier,  gold 
rings  came  into  use  in  the  ceremony  of  betrothal. 
Pliny's  assertion  that  the  bride  wore  an  unset  iron  ring 
has  been  interpreted  to  mean  no  more  than  that,  in  the 
case  of  those  entitled  to  wear  gold  rings,  the  bride- 
groom after  having  given  the  bride  a  gold  ring,  later 
bestowed  upon  her  one  of  iron  for  wear  within  doors. 
For  it  appears  to  have  been  a  rather  general  usage, 
in  or  before  Pliny's  time,  to  wear  gold  rings  only  when 
in  public,  and  within  the  house  iron  rings.  That  the 
nuptial  ring  was  of  gold,  in  the  second  century  at  least, 
is  plain  from  the  statement  of  St.  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria, who  declares  that  this  ring  was  not  bestowed 
upon  the  spouse  as  an  ornament,  but  that  she  might  seal 
up  whatever  was  worthy  of  special  care  in  the  house- 
hold.^2 

Perhaps  the  earliest  allusion  in  Christian  literature 
to  the  betrothal  ring  appears  in  one  of  Tertullian's 
writings,  dated  from  the  end  of  the  second  century  a.d., 
wherein  he  says :  "Among  our  women  the  time-honored 

1^  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek,  Etrus- 
can, and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities,  British 
Museum,"  London,  1907,  pp.  99,  100;  No.  579,  pi.  xvii. 

Federici  Augusti  Junii,  "  De  annulo  Romanorum  spon- 
salitio,"  Lipsiffi  (1744),  pp  .xiii,  xiv;  citing  Pliny's  "  Hist.  Nat., 
lib.  xxxiii,  cap.  i,  and  Clement's  "  Piedogogus,  lib.  iii,  cap.  xi. 


200 


RINGS 


rules  of  their  ancestors,  which  enjoined  modesty  and 
sobriety,  have  died  out.  In  former  times  women  knew 
nothing  of  gold  except  the  single  betrothal  ring,  which 
was  placed  on  one  of  their  fingers  by  the  fiance." 
That  this  usage  had  endured  for  many  years  is  clearly 
apparent  from  the  allusion  to  times  long  past.  In  a 
curious  passage,^^  St.  Augustine,  in  the  fourth  century, 
writes:  "  No  priest  shall  hesitate  to  wed  a  couple  who 
present  themselves  before  the  altar,  if  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  are  not  able,  because  of  poverty,  to  give 
rings  to  each  other;  for  the  (offering  of)  the  earnest- 
money  is  a  matter  of  decorum,  not  of  necessity." 

One  of  the  rare  marriage  rings  or  love  tokens  of 
the  early  Christian  centuries,  bears  incised  on  its  cir- 
cular, button-shaped  chaton,  a  male  and  a  female  bust, 
the  faces  turned  toward  each  other.  Above  is  a  cross, 
the  lower  part  of  its  upright  shaft  much  longer  than 
the  upper  part  or  the  arms.  This  ring  is  of  Byzantine 
workmanship  and  has  been  approximately  dated  about 
440  A.D.  It  is  a  good  example  of  the  so-called  bi- 
cephalic  rings,  rings  bearing  two  heads,  and  weighs 
sfi  dwt.,  or  87  grains.^^ 

This  usage  was  introduced  among  the  ancient  Ger- 
mans by  the  Romans.  The  significance  of  the  betrothal 
ring  is  noted  in  a  law  of  the  Visigoths,  promulgated  by 
Chindaswinthe  (642-643  a.d.).  There  had  evidently 
been  a  disposition  to  treat  lightly  the  obligations  of 
betrothal,  for  we  read:  "  Since  there  are  many  who, 

13  Tertulliani,  "  Opera  Omnia,"  ed.  Migne,  Parisiis,  1879, 
vol.  i,  col.  356.   Apol.  adv.  gen. 

1^  August.  Epist.  119  ad  Januar.  cap.  18. 

1^  C.  Drury  Fortnum,  "  On  Finger  Rings  of  the  Early 
Christian  Period,"  in  Journal  of  Archaeology,  vol.  xxviii,  pp. 
266-292 ;  figured  on  p.  291. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  201 


forgetful  of  their  plighted  faith,  defer  the  fulfillment 
of  their  nuptial  contracts,  this  license  should  be  sup- 
pressed." Therefore,  it  was  provided  that  when  a 
solemn  declaration  had  been  made  before  witnesses  and 
the  espousal  ring  had  been  given  and  accepted  as  repre- 
senting earnest-money,  the  marriage  ceremony  must 
follow,  if  either  of  the  parties  should  fail  to  agree  to  a 
rupture  of  the  engagement;  that  is,  it  could  only  be 
broken  by  mutual  consent. 

A  celebrated  betrothal  ring  was  that  sent  by  Clovis  I 
(465-511  A.D.)  to  Clothilda  in  493.  The  following 
account  is  given  of  the  bestowal  of  this  ring: 

"Aurelian  pursued  his  journey  from  these  parts  [of 
Burgundy],  bearing  with  him  the  ring  of  Chlodwig 
that  he  might  gain  the  better  credence  thereby.  When 
he  arrived  at  the  city  where  Chrotechilda  resided  with 
her  aunt,  Aurelian  presented  himself  and  said :  '  Chlod- 
wig, King  of  the  Franks,  hath  sent  me  to  thee ;  if  such 
be  the  will  of  God,  he  wishes  to  associate  thee  with 
himself  in  his  majesty,  as  spouse.  That  thou  mayst  be 
assured  of  this,  he  hath  sent  thee  this  ring.'  Accepting 
the  ring,  she  was  filled  with  great  joy,  and  answered: 
'  Take  a  hundred  solidi  as  a  reward  for  thy  labor.  Re- 
turn quickly  to  thy  lord  and  say  to  him:  '  If  thou 
desirest  to  associate  me  with  thyself  in  matrimony,  send 
envoys  straightway  to  my  paternal  uncle  Gundobard, 
and  ask  him  for  my  hand.'  "  The  money  gift  was  a 
considerable  one  for  the  time,  as  the  solidus  was  worth 
intrinsically  about  $3  of  our  money,  and  six  or  eight 
times  as  much  in  purchasing  power  in  that  age. 

A  most  interesting  ancient  wedding  ring,  presum- 

Fredegari,  "  Historia  Francorum  epitomata,"  cap.  xviii ; 
in  Patrologia  Latina,  ed.  J.  P.  Migne,  Parisis,  1879,  vol.  Ixxi, 
coL  584. 


202 


RINGS 


ably  of  the  Gallo-Roman  period,  was  unearthed  toward 
1850  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mulsanne,  dept.  Sarthe, 
France.  It  is  of  massive  gold  and  weighs  24  grams, 
20  centigrams,  or  over  %  ounce.  On  the  bezel,  which 
is  square,  are  rudely  engraved  two  figures,  that  of  a  war- 
rior resting  on  his  lance  and  that  of  a  woman  holding 
out  her  arms  to  him.  On  the  shoulders,  toward  the 
bezel,  is  a  foliated  ornamentation,  and  along  the  edge 
of  the  bezel  are  engraved  the  two  names  "  Dromacius  " 
and  "  Betta,"  the  characters  being  filled  in  with  the  black 
enamel  called  niello.  This  ring  is  believed  to  date  from 
the  fifth  century  a.d.^'^ 

The  religious  aspect  of  the  ring  in  the  ritual  of  the 
Greek  Church  finds  an  exponent  in  Symeon,  Archbishop 
of  Thessalonica,  who  wrote  about  a  half-century  before 
the  capture  of  Constantinople  by  the  Turks  in  1453. 
In  his  description  of  a  typical  marriage  ceremony  he 
states  that  the  officiating  priest  laid  upon  the  altar  two 
rings,  an  iron  one  symbolic  of  masculine  force,  and  a 
gold  one  typical  of  the  less  hardy  but  purer  feminine 
constitution.  These  rings  he  consecrated.  After 
bestowing  his  benediction  upon  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom and  offering  a  prayer  for  them,  he  gave  the 
woman  the  iron  ring,  as  from  the  man,  and  to  the  man 
the  gold  ring  on  the  part  of  the  woman,  and  changed 
them  three  times,  in  adoration  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  the 
perfecter  and  sustainer  of  all  things.  Hereupon  he 
joined  the  right  hands  of  the  spouses,  demonstrating 
their  unity  in  Christ  and  that  the  man  had  received  the 
woman  from  the  hand  of  the  Church.    The  rings  also 

Hucher,  "  Sigillographie  du  Maine,"  Bulletin  Monumen- 
tal, vol.  xviii,  p.  30'8. 


BETROTHAL  OF  JOSEPH  AND  MARY,  BY  JUAN  RODRIGUEZ  JUAREZ  (OR  XUAREZ),  MEXICO  CITY, 
(1666-1734)   CALLED  THE  "MEXICAN  CARRACCA" 
In  the  possession  of  the  author 


Right  hand  of  the  Virgin,  right  hand  of  St.  Joseph,  and  hands  of  the  high-priest,  showing  the  manner 
of  placing  the  wedding  ring  at  Hebrew  marriages  as  depicted  in  the  picture  of  Rodriguez  Juarez 
[Xuarez].    The  ring  contains  an  octahedral  diamond  crystal  set  in  gold 


1%  I 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  203 

signified  the  agreement  and  sealing  of  the  marriage 
contract.^  ^ 

According  to  Buxtorf  (De  sponsal.  et  divort.),  the 
Jews  did  not  place  the  betrothal  ring  upon  the  annular  ^ 
finger,  but  upon  the  index.    As  to  this  there  is  a  curious 
statement  in  the  "  Opus  aureus  contra  Judseos,"  by 
Victor  de  Carben,  a  converted  Jew.   He  states  that,  at 
the  betrothal  ceremony,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  ^ 
fiancee  extends  her  index  finger  to  receive  the  ring,  lest  ^ 
it  should  be  put,  by  mistake,  upon  the  middle  finger,  ^ 
for  it  was  on  this  finger  that  Joseph  placed  the  ring 
when  he  betrothed  Mary.    Buxtorf  adds  that  he  has 
never  been  able  to  find  this  statement  in  Jewish  writings. 

One  of  Ghirlandajo's  frescoes  in  the  church  of  Santa 
Croce,  in  Florence,  depicts  the  betrothal  of  the  Virgin,  ^^i^  ^ 
Here  the  ring  is  placed  by  Joseph  on  the  fourth  finger  ^ 
of  the  Virgin's  right  hand,  and  the  famous  Sposalizio  ' 
by  Rafael  in  the  Brera  Gallery  in  Milan  illustrates  the  , 
same  usage.    Possibly  the  ring  was  transferred  to  the  ^ 
left  hand  at  the  actual  marriage  ceremony.  \ 

The  custom  of  the  Greek  church  at  the  present  day     ^  ^ 
in  relation  to  betrothal  or  wedding  rings  differs  in  some     ^  § 
respects  from  that  observed  in  other  Christian  churches,    ^  ^  ] 
for  the  priest  places  a  ring  on  the  fourth  finger  of  each  ^ 
of  the  contracting  parties,  who  then  proceed  to  exchange 
them  with  each  other.  ,  Vj 

The  old  custom  of  exchanging  rings  and  betrothal 
vows  obtains  in  the  Russian  branch  of  the  Eastern 
Church.  For  the  succeeding  marriage  ceremony,  or 
"  crowning,"  the  same  rings  are  again  used.   The  rubric 

■^^  Symeonis  Thessalonicensis  Archiepiscopi,  "  Opera 
Omnia,"  in  Migne's  Patrologia  Grseca,  vol.  civ,  Paris,  1866, 
cols.  505,  508,  "  De  honesto  et  legitimo  conjugio." 

1^  Colonise,  1509,  cap.  11. 


204 


RINGS 


states  that  the  bride's  ring  should  be  of  silver  to  show 
that  she  is  the  less  honorable  vessel,  while  the  bride- 
groom's ring  is  of  gold  to  signify  the  superiority  of  the 
man.  The  brides,  however,  have  shown  a  disposition 
to  resent  this  inequality,  and,  in  modern  times  at  least, 
they  are  given  gold  rings  also.  The  old  Russian  custom 
is  for  the  husband  to  wear  his  ring  on  his  f orefinger.^^ 

In  the  Greek  and  Russian  churches,  the  rings — of 
gold  for  the  man,  of  silver  for  the  woman — are  bestowed 
at  the  betrothal  ceremony,  when  also  a  contract  between 
the  parties  is  made.  The  later  nuptial  ceremony  is  gen- 
erally designated  as  "  the  crowning,"  a  crown  being 
placed  on  the  heads  of  bride  and  bridegroom  by  the 
officiating  priest. 

The  question  was  often  raised  whether  the  mere 
fact  of  giving  or  accepting  a  ring  constituted  a  definite 
promise  of  marriage.  The  best  authorities  decided  the 
question  in  the  negative.  In  reference  to  this  matter 
Peter  Miiller  writes:  "  If  when  a  ring  is  given  there  is 
no  promise  of  marriage,  the  ring  shall  not  be  regarded 
as  a  betrothal  ring,  but  as  a  simple  gift.  Whence  it 
may  be  inferred  that  a  contract  of  marriage  cannot  be 
proved  by  a  ring  alone,  since  mere  donations,  bestowed 
through  liberality,  do  not  produce  any  obligation." 

The  connection  between  the  wedding  ring  and  the 
bestowal  of  earnest-money  is  clearly  indicated  in  the 
marriage  service  as  given  in  the  Prayer-Book  of  Ed- 
ward VI.  Here,  after  the  words  "  with  this  ring  I 
thee  wed,"  there  is  added :  "  This  gold  and  silver  I  give 
thee  " ;  and  at  these  words  the  bridegroom  usually  placed 
in  the  bride's  hands  a  purse  containing  a  sum  of  money. 
There  can,  indeed,  be  little  doubt  that  the  espousal  ring 

2^  Communicated  by  Mrs.  Isabel  F.  Hapgood. 

21  Petri  Miilleri,  "  De  annulo  pronubo,"  Jen«,  1734,  p.  22. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  205 


was  rather  the  type  of  a  valuable  consideration  offered 
at  the  consummation  of  the  marriage  contract,  than  a 
symbol  of  the  bondage  and  subjection  of  the  spouse  as 
many  have  maintained. 

That  the  ring  was  sometimes  given  conditionally  is 
shown  by  a  curious  old  German  formula  to  the  following 
effect:  "  I  give  you  this  ring  as  a  sign  of  the  marriage 
which  has  been  promised  between  us,  provided  your 
father  gives  with  you  a  marriage  portion  of  1000 
reichsthalers." 

It  is  not  possible  to  indicate  with  any  precision  at 
what  date  the  betrothal  ring  became  the  wedding  ring, 
but  this  change  seems  to  have  taken  place  in  England 
about  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  This  did  not,  how- 
ever, entail  the  abandonment  of  the  betrothal  ring,  but 
rather  the  substitution  of  another,  and  frequently  less 
simple  ring,  to  mark  the  betrothal.  Of  course,  the 
change  was  gradual  and  the  usage  varied  in  different 
countries,  since  the  employment  of  a  separate  marriage 
ring  was  rather  a  matter  of  custom  than  of  ecclesiastical 
ordinance. 

The  Manx  usages  and  customs  are  so  strange  in 
many  cases  that  the  ring  traditions  of  the  Isle  of  Man 
also  present  certain  peculiarities.  Thus  if  a  man  was 
found  guilty  of  having  done  injury  to  a  maiden,  the 
latter  was  given  a  sword,  a  rope  and  a  ring,  signifying 
that  she  could  either  have  him  beheaded,  or  hung,  or 
else  could  force  him  to  wed  her.  That  the  last-men- 
tioned choice  was  the  one  most  frequently  made  is  very 
probable,  as  the  rehabilitation  of  her  good  name  thus 
attained  might  well  outweigh  any  satisfaction  to  be 
gained  from  the  exercise  of  revenge.^^ 

^2  Petri  Miilleri,  "  De  annulo  pronubo,"  Jenae,  1734,  p.  31. 
23  Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  p.  114. 


206 


RINGS 


The  use  of  rush-rings  in  England,  in  1217,  for  mock 
marriages,  is  vouched  for  in  the  "  Constitutiones  "  of 
Richard,  Bishop  of  Sahsbury.  It  is  provided  that  who- 
ever places  a  rush-ring,  or  a  ring  of  cheap  or  precious 
material,  in  sport  and  jest  upon  a  woman's  hand,  that 
she  shall  the  more  willingly  become  friendly  with  him, 
although  imagining  himself  to  be  joking  will  be  con- 
strained to  marry.  Another  authority  declares  that 
when  the  ecclesiastical  court  enforced  matrimony  aS  a 
penalty  or  a  reparation  for  bad  conduct,  a  rush  ring 
or  a  ring  of  straw  was  used  at  the  ceremony.^^ 

There  are  several  passages  in  English  poetry  of  the 
Elizabethan  age  and  later,  referring  to  this  use  of  a 
"  rush  ring."  In  his  "  Two  Noble  Kinsmen,"  Fletcher 
writes : 

Rings  she  made 
Of  rushes  that  grew  by,  and  to  'em  spoke 
The  prettiest  posies;  Thus  our  true  loves  ty'd; 
This  you  may  loose,  not  me,  and  many  a  one. 

In  the  seventeenth  century  Sir  William  Davenant 
(1605-1668)  speaks  in  the  following  mocking  strain  of 
such  a  ring: 

I'll  crown  thee  with  a  garland  of  straw  then 
And  I'll  marry  thee  with  a  rush  ring. 

The  ballad  called  the  Winchester  Wedding  has  these 
lines : 

Pert  Strephon  was  kind  to  Betty, 
And  blithe  as  a  bird  in  the  spring; 

And  Tommy  was  so  to  Katy, 

And  wedded  her  with  a  rush  ring. 

24  Cap.  55. 

2^  "  Glossarium  ad  scriptores  mediae  et  infimse  Latinitatis," 
Parisiis,  1733,  vol.  i,  col.  457. 


BETHOTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  207 


The  "  rush  ring  "  is  touched  on  in  an  old  English 
ballad  of  Shakespeare's  time,  in  which  occur  the  lines ; 

Then  on  my  finger  I'll  have  a  ring 
Not  one  of  rush,  but  a  golden  thing ; 
And  I  shall  be  glad  as  a  bird  in  spring. 
Because  I  am  married  o'  Sunday. 

A  purely  spiritual  view  of  the  meaning  of  a  wed- 
ding-ring is  expressed  by  Guillaume  Durant,  Bishop 
of  Mende  (died  1296).  For  him  it  was  the  symbol 
of  the  mutual  love  of  the  espoused,  at  once  a  pledge 
and  a  symbol  of  the  union  of  their  hearts.  However, 
the  more  mercenary  significance  of  the  ring,  as  a  sign 
of  the  marriage  gift  to  be  bestowed  upon  the  bride  by 
the  bridegroom  before  the  wedding,  is  quite  clearly 
brought  out  in  the  old  French  Rituals,  wherein  its  com- 
position and  meaning  are  defined.  A  simplification  of 
the  ring  itself  seems  to  have  taken  place  from  about  the 
thirteenth  century  when  gold  rings  adorned  with 
precious  stones  were  generally  worn.  The  metal  used 
at  a  later  time  varied  in  different  dioceses.  While  in 
that  of  Limoges  the  ring  was  of  gold,  the  rituals  of 
the  dioceses  of  Auxerre,  Lyons  and  Paris  prescribe  a 
silver  ring.  In  the  Manual  of  the  priests  belonging  to 
the  diocese  of  Paris,  it  is  strictly  enjoined  that  there 
shall  be  no  inscription  or  figure  upon  the  ring,  and  that 
no  precious  stone  shall  be  set  therein.  The  officiating 
priest  receives  it  from  the  bridegroom  together  with 
one  or  more  pieces  of  money  "  as  sign  of  the  constituted 
endowment."  The  Manuel  de  Beauvais,  published  in 
1637,  also  prescribes  that  the  nuptial  ring  shall  be 
severely  plain  and  entirely  without  inscription.  The 


26  Cited  in  H.  R.  D.  Anders,  "  Shakespeare's  Books,"  Berlin, 
1904,  p.  189. 


208 


RINGS 


ritual  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Victor  is  even  more  definite, 
for  here  the  blessing  of  the  ring  is  preceded  by  the 
reading  of  the  endowment  on  account  of  marriage 
{dotalitium  propter  nuptias).  Hence  the  "dower" 
was  not  given  with  the  wife,  but  was  bestowed  upon  her 
by  the  husband. This  has  been  erroneously  looked 
upon  by  some  as  a  survival  of  the  primitive  custom 
of  wif e-pmxhase ;  it  differs,  however,  essentially  from 
this  in  that  the  wife  receives  the  endowment  for  her 
own  use  and  as  her  own  property.  A  curious  super- 
stition is  condemned  by  the  Ritual  of  Evreux.  As  the 
ring  was  handed  to  the  bride  by  the  bridegroom,  the 
former  would  let  it  fall  on  the  ground  to  conjure  a 
possible  evil  spell. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  Jacob  Grimm  (1785-1863) 
the  great  lexicographer  and  student  of  German  archae- 
ology, that  in  early  times,  among  the  christianized  Ger- 
mans, the  fiance  gave  the  ring  to  the  young  woman, 
who  was  thenceforth  bound  to  carry  out  the  marriage 
contract.  On  the  other  hand,  according  to  the  poetical 
recitals  of  the  thirteenth  century,  the  fiancee  gives  a  ring 
to  her  future  husband,  without  receiving  one  from  him. 
The  same  writer  regards  the  usage  of  betrothal  rings 
as  one  introduced  among  the  Germans  by  Christian  in- 
fluence, not  one  that  can  be  looked  upon  as  properly 
Germanic. 

The  contracting  parties  often  exchanged  rings  at 
the  betrothal  ceremony,  which  in  many  cases  was  cele- 

^'^  Deloche,  "  Le  port  des  bagues  dans  I'antiquite  romaine  et 
dans  les  premiers  siecles  du  moyen  age,"  Paris,  1896,  pp.  61-6S ; 
from  Memoires  de  I'Academie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles  Lettres, 

vol.  XXXV. 

^  Jacob  Grimm,  "  Deutsche  Rechtsalterhiimer,"  Berlin, 
1854,  pp.  177,  178. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  209 


brated  in  the  church  with  all  due  solemnity.  Shake- 
speare's "  Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona "  contains  an 
allusion  to  a  more  informal  exchange  of  rings : 

Julia :  Keep  this  remembrance  for  your  Julia's  sake. 

Proteus :  Why  then  we'U  make  exchange ;  here  take  you  this. 
(Giving  a  ring.) 

Julia:  And  seal  the  bargain  with  a  holy  kiss. 

In  our  own  time,  in  Germany,  two  rings,  one  for 
the  bride  and  the  other  for  the  bridegroom,  are  given 
at  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  these  rings  are  called 
"  Trauringe,"  a  name  which  designates  the  ring  as  an 
emblem  of  faith  and  trust,  just  as  does  the  Italian  name 
for  the  betrothal  ring,  fede,  or  faith. 

From  the  almost  innumerable  poesies  inscribed  upon 
espousal  rings  we  select  a  few  of  the  more  noteworthy. 
An  antique  Roman  ring  has  the  words:  "  Pignus  amoris 
habes  "  (Thou  hast  a  pledge  of  love)  ;  another  shows 
the  simple  form  "  Proteros  Ugise  "  (Proteros  to  Ugia), 
the  names  being  inscribed  between  two  clasped  hands.^^ 
A  sentiment  given  by  one  who  was  no  believer  in  un- 
requited love  reads:  "Love  me,  I  will  love  thee."  A 
massive  gold  ring  of  early  date,  found  in  1823  at  That- 
ford,  in  Suffolk,  gives  us  the  following  inscription  in 
Old  French:  "  Deus  me  octroye  de  vous  servir  a  gree 
com  moun  couer  desire  "  (God  grant  me  to  serve  thee 
acceptably  as  my  heart  desires ).^^  On  a  ring  in  the 
collection  of  the  late  Sir  John  Evans  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing graceful  inscription:  "  Je  suis  ici  en  lieu  d'ami  " 
(I  am  here  in  the  place  of  a  friend) . 

This  recalls  Juvenal's  "  digito  pignus  fortasse  dedisti  " 
(perhaps  thou  hast  set  a  pledge  on  a  finger).    Sat.  vi,  27. 

Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist,"  London,  n.d.,  p.  90, 

fig.  97. 

31  Ihid.,  p.  124,  fig.  124. 
14 


210 


RINGS 


An  elaborate  wedding-ring,  probably  executed  in 
Germany,  in  the  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth  century,  is 
in  the  fine  collection  of  the  court  jeweler  Koch,  of 
Frankfort-on-the-Main.  Out  of  richly  ornamental  foli- 
age work  arise  the  figures  of  the  wedded  pair,  evi- 
dently carefully  rendered  portraits.  Although  some- 
what lacking  in  purely  artistic  harmony,  this  production 
of  the  ring-maker's  art  is  an  excellent  illustration  of  the 
quality  of  the  best  German  goldsmith  work  of  the  time 
in  the  smaller  objects. 

The  Figdor  Collection  in  Vienna  contains  a  fif- 
teenth century  betrothal  ring  made  in  France.  It  is  of 
gold  and  bears  the  inscriptions:  "  II  est  dit  "  (in  small 
letters)  and  "  elle  me  tient'"'  (in  capitals),  lit- 
erally: "It  is  said  (spoken)  "  and  "She  holds  me." 
A  betrothal  ring  in  the  form  of  a  so-called  "  Puzzle 
Ring,"  has  six  connecting  hoops.  Three  of  these  are 
enameled,  two  others  bear  closed  hands,  and  the  last 
shows  a  key  and  the  head  of  a  winged  angel.  This  is  of 
seventeenth  century  workmanship.'^^ 

A  wedding-ring  of  simple  Gothic  design  formed 
part  of  a  grave  treasure,  the  characteristic  inscription: 
"In  Mir  1st  Treue  "  (In  me  is  fidelity),  leaving  no 
doubt  as  to  the  use  to  which  the  ring  had  been  put.  This 
plain  triangular  band  is  in  the  Germanic  Museum  in 
Nuremberg  and  is  assigned  to  the  thirteenth  century. 
Another  most  interesting  ring  from  the  same  period 
was  found  in  the  territory  formerly  known  as  the  Fiir- 
stenbergerhof ,  at  the  southwest  end  of  the  city  of  Mainz ; 
it  is  now  owned  by  the  family  Heerdt  of  that  city.  The 
clasped  hands  engraved  on  the  lower  part  of  the  hoop 
designate  this  clearly  as  a  betrothal  or  wedding-ring. 


Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  211 


An  English  ring  of  the  early  part  of  the  fifteenth 
century  bears  this  couplet : 

Most  in  mynd  and  yn  myn  herrt 
Lothest  from  thee  ferto  deparrt. 

In  seventeenth  century  rings  the  religious  sentiment 
predominates;  "  I  have  obtaind  whom  God  ordaind"; 
"  God  unites  our  hearts  aright "  ;  "  Knitt  in  one  by 
Christ  alone  "  Wee  join  our  love  in  God  above."  A 
little  more  human,  if  less  devotional,  are  the  mottoes: 
"United  hearts  death  only  parts";  "A  faithfull  wife 
preserveth  life,"  and  "  Love  and  live  happily." 

There  have  been  many  types  of  betrothal  rings  from 
the  simplest  up  to  the  most  elaborate  and  ornate.  One 
having  a  graceful  symbolism  was  found  near  Vassy, 
dept.  Haute  Marne,  France,  in  June,  1868.  The  hoop 
is  of  yellow  gold,  alloyed  sufficiently  to  give  it  con- 
sistence. Instead  of  one  chaton,  it  has  two  placed  close 
to  one  another  and  each  set  with  a  small,  cabochon-cut 
emerald.  The  choice  of  this  stone  is  a  good  indication 
that  we  have  to  do  here  with  a  betrothal  rather  than  a 
wedding  ring,  for  the  emerald  was  emblematic  of  hope, 
of  unfulfilled  desire  and  of  virginity.  Around  the  set- 
ting runs  the  following  inscription  in  Old  French, 
beginning  with  the  sign  of  the  cross:  ce  que  desir 
HOM  DONE  UN  BiEN.  This  may  be  rendered :  "  What 
one  desires  brings  happiness,"  the  idea  being  per- 
haps that  so  beautifully  expressed  by  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas :  "  The  soul  dwells  with  the  loved  one  rather 
than  in  the  body  it  animates."  While  the  letters  of 
the  French  inscription  are  so  much  worn  as  to  make  the 
decipherment  of  two  words  a  little  uncertain,  the  gen- 


Anima  magis  est  ubi  aTnat  quam  ubi  animat. 


212 


RINGS 


eral  sense  is  clear  enough,  and  constitutes  a  very  fine 
motto  for  such  a  ring.^* 

The  ring  which  had  been  used  by  Louis  IX  (St. 
Louis)  at  his  betrothal  to  Marguerite  de  Provence,  in 
1231,  was  so  greatly  prized  by  him  that  on  his  deathbed 
he  expressed  the  wish  that  it  should  be  interred  with  his 
body.  On  its  gold  hoop  he  had  caused  to  be  engraved  the 
lilies  of  France  and  certain  military  emblems.^^^ 

A  graceful  thought  is  expressed  in  the  following  Old 
French  inscription  on  a  ring  found  near  Poitiers: 
Mon  cuer  se  est  resioui  aussi  doit  il  si  maist  Dieux. 
A  mon  gre  ne  puis  mieux  aueir  choisi. 

"  My  heart  is  rejoiced,  and  so  should  it  be,  if  God  aid  me. 
For  I  feel  I  could  not  have  chosen  better." 

A  shorter  motto,  but  one  full  of  significance,  ap- 
pears on  a  ring  in  the  museum  of  Poitiers;  it  consists 
merely  of  the  two  words:  "  Sans  Partir."  This  could 
mean  either  "  we  shall  never  separate,"  or  else  that  the 
donor  would  never  abandon  his  love.  Another  brief 
motto,  found  on  a  ring  in  the  Louvre  dating  from  the 
reign  of  Francis  I,  runs  Riens  sans  amour,"  or  "  Love 
is  all  in  all."^" 

At  weddings  in  Spain  and  also  in  some  parts  of 
France,  in  connection  with  the  bestowal  of  a  ring,  the 
curious  usage  has  been  observed  of  giving  thirteen 
pieces  of  money  to  the  bride.  This  gift,  called  in  French 
a  treizain,  has  its  origin,  as  the  name  indicates,  in  the 

3^  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Un  anneau  du  XVe  Siecle,"  Tours, 
1876. 

Jean  Szendrei,  "  Catalogue  de  la  collection  de  bagues  de 
Madame  Gustave  de  Tarnoczy,"  Paris,  1889,  p.  xlviii. 

Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Un  anneau  du  XVe  siecle,"  Tours, 
1876,  pp.  14-17.  For  additional  "  posies  "  see  pp.  at  end  of 
this  chapter. 


JEWISH  BETROTHAL  RINGS  IN  GOLD,  SET  WITH  PRECIOUS  STONES 
Musee  de  Cluny,  Paris 


Jewish  wedding  rings,  one  with  Temple  dome,  the  other  with  slant-roofed 
structure.    Each  bears  the  Hebrew  words  Mazzel  fob,  or  "Good  Luck" 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Jewish  wedding  ring,  with  five  bosses  and  as  bezel  a  projecting  figure.    This  is  hinged 
and  covers  a  gold  plate.   On  the  inside  Mazzel  Tab  or  "Good  Luck" 
British  Museum 


Jewish  marriage  ring.  Gold  hoop  with 
five  bosses  of  filigree  enriched  with  flowers 
in  pale  blue,  green  and  white  enamel,  and 
a  gable-like  projection  with  two  small 
windows.  Niirnberg.  Sixteenth  Century- 
British  Museum 


Jewish  wedding  ring;  broad 
gold  hoop,  the  sides  showing  the 
Creation  of  Eve,  the  Fall,  and  the 
Expulsion  from  Eden.  German. 
Sixteenth  Century 

British  Museum 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  213 


ancient  custom  of  giving  to  the  purchaser  of  a  dozen 
articles,  an  extra  one,  ostensably  as  a  testimonial  of 
good  will,  but  really  to  induce  further  purchases.  This 
old  usage  is  said  to  have  been  observed  at  the  marriage 
of  King  Alfonso  XIII  of  Spain  in  1906. 

The  Hebrew  betrothal  rings  were  elaborate  and 
somewhat  clumsy  productions,  frequently  of  massive 
gold.  The  broad  hoop  was  surmounted  by  the  repre- 
sentation of  a  temple,  sometimes  with  a  Moorish  dome, 
but  usually  with  a  slanting  roof.  This  is  a  curiously 
conventionalized  figuration  of  Solomon's  Temple, 
similar  to  that  found  upon  certain  spurious  Hebrew 
coins.  Upon  the  temple  or  else  around  the  ring,  are 
generally  the  Hebrew  words  FIO  ERG,  equivalent  to 
"  Good  Fortune."  Several  such  rings  are  described  in 
the  privately  printed  catalogue  of  the  Londesborough 
Collection  (London,  1853,  p.  4).  A  more  artistic 
specimen,  also  in  the  Londesborough  Collection,  bears 
the  figures  of  Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise,  accompanied 
by  representations  of  animals,  all  in  high  relief.^^  The 
specimens  described  belong  to  the  sixteenth  century. 
The  learned  Jesuit,  Athanasius  Kircher,  cites  a  state- 
ment to  the  effect  that  the  inscription  mazzel  tob^  en- 
graved upon  many  Hebrew  betrothal  rings,  referred  to 
the  planet  Jupiter  as  the  "  good  star."  This  planet 
was,  indeed,  called  by  the  Hebrews  cocab  zedeq,  "  star 
of  righteousness  "  or  "  justice,"  but  there  is  little  doubt 
that  mazzel  tob  should  be  rendered  "  good  fortune  "  or 
"  propitious  fate." 

^«  Shown  in  Fairholt's  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist,"  p.  127, 
figs.  152,  153. 

37  7^^^.^  p.  128,  fig.  154. 

3^  Kircheri,  "  OEdipus  JEgyptiacus,"  Romag,  1652,  vol.  i, 
p.  283. 


214 


RINGS 


The  earliest  Jewish  wedding-rings  are  said  to  have 
been  plain  golden  circlets,  without  setting,  indeed  a 
silver  substitute  or  even  one  of  a  cheaper  metal  was  not 
forbidden.  Pearls,  favorite  gems  with  the  Jews,  were 
sometimes  used  for  settings  at  a  later  period.  The 
purely  ceremonial  or  symbolic  significance  of  the  Jewish 
wedding  ring  in  early  times  is  exemplified  in  its  great 
size,  the  major  part  of  these  rings  being  much  too  large 
for  wear.  Sometimes,  at  the  wedding  feast,  rings  of 
this  type  were  used  as  holders  of  myrtle-branches.  The 
circlet  surmounted  with  the  temple  figure  was  occa- 
sionally formed  of  two  cherubim.^^ 

A  ring  supposed  to  have  been  the  wedding  ring  of 
the  Roman  Tribune,  Cola  di  Rienzi  (ca.  1313-1354), 
is  of  silver,  with  an  octagonal  bezel;  the  hoop  bears  the 
names:  "  Catarina  "  and  "  Nicola,"  those  of  Rienzi  and 
of  Catarina  di  Kaselli,  his  bride.  The  letters  have  been 
placed  in  sharp  relief  by  cutting  away  the  background 
and  filling  it  up  with  niello.  Between  the  names  are 
two  stars.  As  Rienzi  chose  a  star  as  his  emblem  on  the 
coins  he  struck  during  his  brief  rule  in  Rome,  this  de- 
vice coupled  with  the  names  makes  the  attribution  of 
the  ring  not  without  some  good  foundation.^^  This  ring 
was  bought  by  Mr.  Waterton  in  Rome  for  a  trifling 
sum.  It  had  been  pledged  in  a  Monte  di  Pieta,  and  was 
disposed  of  at  one  of  the  periodical  clearing  sales. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  the  betrothal  ceremony  was 
usually  performed  in  the  presence  of  a  notary  public, 
not  of  a  priest,  and  this  continued  to  be  the  usage  until 

39  Jewish  Encyclopaedia,  vol.  x,  art.  Rings  by  Albert  Wolf, 
of  Dresden,  Saxony. 

"  Catalogue  of  the  Special  Exhibition  of  Works  of  Art  at 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,"  section  32, 
"  Rings,"  by  Edmund  Waterton,  pp.  630,  631. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  ^15 


after  the  Council  of  Trent,  which  ended  in  1563.  At 
the  betrothal,  by  proxy,  of  Lucrezia  Borgia  with 
Giovanni  Sforza,  February  2,  1493,  twin  gold  rings  set 
with  precious  stones  were  given,  one  to  be  put  on  the 
fourth  finger  of  the  fiancee's  left  hand,  "  whose  vein 
leads  to  the  heart "  as  the  record  specifies,  while  the 
other  was  to  be  placed  on  the  bridegroom's  little  finger.*^ 

In  one  of  the  very  risque  tales  forming  the  "  Cent 
Nouvelles  Nouvelles,"  the  authorship  of  which  has  been 
attributed  to  King  Louis  XI  of  France  (1461-1483), 
it  is  related  that  a  lady,  while  bathing,  lost  a  diamond 
ring;  the  narrator  adds:  "  This  was  one  her  liege  lord 
had  given  her  on  the  day  of  her  espousal,  and  she  prized 
it  the  more  highly  on  this  account."  Although  diamond 
rings  were  not  common  at  this  time,  the  recently  in- 
vented art  of  facetting  the  diamond  was  rapidly  bring- 
ing these  stones  into  fashion  and  favor.  There  is,  in- 
deed, a  record,  or  at  least  a  family  tradition,  that  one 
of  the  three  large  diamonds  cut  in  facets  by  Lodowyk 
van  Berken  of  Bruges,  about  1476,  at  the  order  of 
Duke  Charles  the  Bold  of  Burgundy,  was  set  in  a  ring 
and  given  by  the  duke  to  Louis  XI,  with  whom  he  was 
then  seeking  to  get  on  a  friendly  footing.  This  diamond 
is  described  as  having  been  cut  as  a  "  triangle  and  a 
heart."  This  possibly  means  that  the  triangular  shape 
was  slightly  modified  into  a  heart  shape.* ^ 

A  Scotch  legend  relates  that  a  married  woman  by 
ill-chance  let  her  wedding  ring  fall  into  the  river  Clyde. 
On  her  return  home  her  husband  noted  its  absence  and. 

See  Gregorovius,  "  Lucrezia  Borgia,"  pp.  375,  376,  of 
Ital.  translation. 

Robert  de  Berquen,  Les  Merveilles  des  Indes  Orient  ales 
et  Occidentales,"  Paris,  1661,  pp.  14,  15.  Robert  de  Berquen 
writes  of  Louis  (Lodowyk)  as  "  one  of  his  ancestors." 


216 


HINGS 


believing  she  had  given  it  to  a  lover,  became  furiously 
jealous,  used  the  harshest  language  to  her  and  even 
threatened  her  life.  In  her  despair  the  innocent  wife 
went  and  cast  herself  at  the  feet  of  St.  Kentigern, 
Bishop  of  Glasgow,  supplicating  him  to  render  her 
faithfulness  manifest.  The  bishop  had  compassion  upon 
her,  and  uttered  a  prayer  that  the  ring  might  be  re- 
stored. His  prayer  was  answered,  for  ere  a  few  hours 
had  passed  a  fisherman  came  to  him  bearing  as  a  gift 
a  large  salmon  he  had  just  caught,  and  in  the  mouth 
of  the  fish  was  found  the  lost  ring.  The  husband,  con- 
vinced of  his  injustice,  was  kinder  to  his  wife  than  ever 
before,  so  as  to  make  good  the  wrong  he  had  done  her. 
To  the  story  given  in  this  legend  are  ascribed  the  figures 
of  a  salmon  with  a  ring  in  its  mouth  on  the  coat-of-arms 
of  the  city  of  Glasgow,  as  well  as  on  the  armorial  bear- 
ings of  several  of  the  bishops  of  that  city  from  the  time 
of  Bishop  Wishert,  who  lived  under  Edward  II  of 
England  (1307-1327).^^ 

Among  historic  wedding  rings  especially  worthy  of 
note  is  that  commemorating  the  marriage  of  Martin 
Luther  to  Catharina  von  Bora,  June  13,  1525.*^  Both 
Luther  and  his  wife  had  taken  the  vow  of  celibacy  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  he  was  bitterly  re- 
proached by  Boman  Catholics  for  contracting  this  mar- 
riage. Replying  to  his  accusers,  he  is  declared  to  have 
said  that  he  married  "  to  please  himself,  to  tease  the 
Pope,  and  to  spite  the  Devil."  The  inscription  on  this 
ring  is:  "  D.  Martino  Luthero  Catharina  v.  Boren,  13 
Jun.  1525."    This  probably  indicates  that  the  ring  was 

Alfred  Maury,  "  Crojances  et  Legendes  du  Mojen  Age," 
Paris,  1896,  p.  277,  note. 

44  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist,"  p.  128,  fig.  155.  The 
authenticity  of  the  ring  may  be  regarded  as  somewhat  doubtful. 


PORTRAIT  OF  ANNE  OF  CLEVES  (1515-1557),  FOURTH  WIFE  OF  HENRY  VIII,  BY  HANS  HOLBEIN 
Thumb-ring  on  left  hand,  one  ring  on  index  finger,  and  two  on  fourth  finger  of  right  hand.   This  portrait, 
when  shown  to  Henry,  pleased  him  so  well  that  he  agreed  to  the  marriage,  but  he  expressed  sore  disappointment 
when  he  at  last  saw  the  new  queen 

Mus^e  du  Louvre,  Paris 


PORTRAIT  OF  JUDITH,  AFTER  LUCAS  CRANACH 
Rings  worn  beneath  gloves,  which  have  slits  to  relieve  the  pressure  and  to  show  the  rings.  Right 
hand  has  four  rings,  on  thumb,  index,  fourth  finger,  and  little  finger,  respectively 
Kaiserliche  Gemalde-Galcrie,  Vienna 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  217 


given  to  Luther  by  his  wife  in  memory  of  the  wedding. 
It  is  stated  to  have  belonged  to  a  family  in  Leipsie  as 
late  as  1817.  A  copy  of  the  ring  is  in  the  writer's  pos- 
session. It  was  given  him  by  Mrs.  Edith  True  Drake, 
as  a  memento  of  her  husband  Alexander  W.  Drake,  of 
whose  collection  it  had  formed  part.  The  original  ring 
is  set  with  a  small  ruby,  and  bears  in  high  relief  repre- 
sentations of  the  crucifixion,  and  of  the  instruments  of 
the  Passion ;  the  pillar,  scourge,  spear,  etc. 

A  pendant  to  this  is  a  ring  given  either  to  Luther 
or  his  wife,  as  a  memento  of  his  marriage,  by  some  friend. 
This  is  of  the  type  of  gimmal  rings,  divisible  but  not 
separable.  On  one  hoop  the  setting  is  a  diamond,  on 
the  other  a  ruby.  The  bezel  separates  into  two  halves 
when  the  ring  is  opened,  and  reveals  on  the  two  hidden 
sides  the  initials  c  v  d  and  m  l  d,  for  Catharina  von 
Bora  and  Martin  Luther,  Doctor.  On  the  inner  side 
of  the  conjoined  hoops  is  the  inscription:  Was  Got 
zusamen  fiegt  sol  kein  mensch  scheiderf^  (Those  whom 
God  hath  joined,  shall  no  man  put  asunder),  in  the  old 
German  spelling.^ ^  The  diamond  is  on  the  Luther  side 
of  the  divided  bezel,  and  signifies  power,  durability  and 
fidelity;  the  ruby  on  the  side  marked  with  the  wife's 
initials  is  taken  to  mean  exalted  love.  Both  this  ring 
and  the  one  already  described  are  believed  to  have  been 
designed  by  the  artist,  Lucas  Cranach,  who  was  a  friend 
of  Luther's  and  assisted  at  his  marriage.  The  ring  is  in 
the  Grossherzogliches  Museum  at  Brunswick. 

A  very  noteworthy  ring,  in  the  Waterton  Collection 
at  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  London,  belonged 
to  Henry,  Lord  Darnley,  and  commemorated  his  mar- 
riage with  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.   On  the  bezel  are  the 

Julius  Kostlin,  "  Life  of  Luther,"  trans,  from  the  German, 
New  York,  1883 ;  pp.  334,  335. 


218 


RINGS 


initials  M  H,  entwined  with  a  true-love  knot,  and  within 
the  hoop  is  engraved  henri  l.  dahnley,  and 
the  date,  1565.  Between  the  two  groups  of  letters  con- 
stituting the  inscription,  is  figured  a  lion  rampant  on  a 
carved  shield.  This  ring  is  said  to  have  been  found  in 
the  ruins  of  Fotheringay  Castle,  where  Mary  Stuart 
was  executed.*^ 

A  peculiar  class  of  rings  bears  the  name  of  "  gimmal 
rings."  This  designation  is  derived  from  the  Latin 
gemellij  "  twins,"  and  indicates  the  form  of  the  orna- 
ment. Two  rings  are  joined  together  by  a  pivot  so 
that  when  united  they  constitute  a  single  ring,  although 
they  can  be  easily  separated.  On  each  circlet  there  is  a 
band,  so  disposed  that  when  both  are  brought  together 
the  hands  are  clasped  and  hold  the  separate  rings  in 
place.  Occasionally,  there  are  three  or  more  rings  com- 
bined in  the  same  way,  the  designation  "  gimmal  ring  " 
being  used  for  these  also.  The  following  lines  by 
Herrick  refer  to  this  latter  type: 

"  Thou  sent'st  to  me  a  true-love  knot ;  but  I 
Return  a  Ring  of  jimmals  to  imply 
Thy  love  had  one  knot,  mine  a  triple  tye." 

A  specimen  of  this  type  of  ring  is  given  in  the 
privately-printed  catalogue  of  Lady  Londesborough's 
collection  (London,  1853,  p.  17).  This  is  described  as 
"  a  triple  gimmal,  the  first  and  third  circlet  having 
each  a  hand,  so  that,  when  joined,  the  two  hands  are 
clasped  together  and  serve  to  conceal  two  united  hearts 
on  the  third  ring.  Of  German  workmanship."  It  was 
customary  to  separate  the  conjoined  rings  at  the  be- 
trothal ceremony  and  to  give  the  upper  and  lower  to 
each  of  the  betrothed,  respectively,  while  the  middle 


^6  Fairholt,  "  Rambles  of  an  Artist,"  p.  13S,  fig.  165. 


Ring  with  pointed  diamond  used  for 

writing  on  glass 
Fairholt's  "Rambles   of   an  Artist" 


Massive  gold  Gallo-Roman  ring.  Found  near  Mulsanne,  dept.  Sarthe, 
France,  about  1850.  Believed  to  be  a  wedding  ring;  five  views.  Fifth 
Century.    See  page  202 

Abbe  Barraud,  "Des  Bagues  de  Toutes  les  Epoques,"  Paris,  1864 


Rings  of  Mary  Stuart.  1,  signet  ring;  2.  wedding 
ring  of  Mary  and  Darnley,  with  date  of  marriage,  1565; 
two  views 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Gold  betrothal  ring,  bezel  in  form  of 
clasped  hands,  hoop  shaped  as  two  amoretti. 
Sixteenth  Century 

British  Museum 


Hebrew  wedding  ring.    Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise        Wedding  ring  of  Martin  Luther,  two  views.   Original  had  a 

small  ruby  in  the  centre 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Wedding  ring  of  gimmal  type.  German,  Sixteenth  Century.  Set  with  a  ruby  and  an 
aquamarine.  Inscription  visible  when  ring  is  separated:  Quod  Deus  conjunxit  homo  non 
separet  (Let  man  not  separate  what  God  hath  joined  together).  The  betrothal  or  wedding 
ring  of  Sir  Thomas  Gresham  (1519-1579)  is  of  similar  design 

British  Museum 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  219 


ring  was  given  to  an  intimate  friend  of  the  lady.  When 
the  marriage  was  solemnized,  the  rings  were  reunited 
and  bestowed  upon  the  bride.  As  a  general  rule  all 
rings  bearing  clasped  hands  were  termed  gimmal  rings, 
although  the  designation  properly  belonged  to  two  or 
more  separate  rings  joined  together. 

The  following  lines  from  Don  Sebastian,  a  play 
written  by  Dryden  (1690),  explains  quite  fully  the 
character  and  use  of  a  gimmal  ring: 

A  curious  artist  wrought  'em 
With  joynts  so  close  as  not  to  be  perceiv'd; 
Yet  are  thej  both  each  other's  counterpart. 
(Her  part  had  Juan  inscrib'd,  and  his  had  Zayda, 
You  know  these  names  were  theirs :)  and  in  the  midst 
A  heart  divided  in  two  halves  was  plac'd. 
Now  if  the  rivets  of  those  Rings  inclos'd 
Fit  not  each  other,  I  have  f org'd  this  lye : 
But  if  they  join,  you  must  for  ever  part. 

In  Burgon's  life  of  Sir  Thomas  Gresham,  the  mer- 
chant prince  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  time  and  founder  of 
the  Royal  Exchange,  we  are  shown  his  wedding  ring. 
This  is  a  gimmal  ring  composed  of  two  hoops,  one  bear- 
ing the  inscription  "  Quod  Deus  conjunxit "  (What 
God  hath  joined  together)  and  the  other:  "  Homo  non 
separet  "  (Let  not  man  put  asunder)  .^^  The  two  hoops 
are  set  with  a  red  and  a  white  stone,  respectively. 

A  curious  development  of  the  gimmal-ring  was  the 
so-called  "  puzzle-ring  "  consisting  of  pieces  of  gold  wire 
ingeniously  bent  and  intertwined  so  that  they  appeared 
to  form  a  single  indivisible  ring,  although  by  a  certain 
clever  twist  they  could  easily  be  separated  into  several 

^"^  Burgon,  "  The  Life  and  Times  of  Sir  Thomas  Gresham," 
London,  1839,  vol.  i,  p.  51. 


220 


RINGS 


independent  hoops.  This  type  was  derived  from  the 
East. 

On  a  gimmal  ring  belonging  to  the  first  half  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  in  the  Londesborough  Collection,  is 
an  engraved  head  of  Lucretia;  at  the  back  appear  two 
hands  clasped.  This  type  seems  to  have  been  common 
in  Shakespeare's  time,  for  in  Twelfth  Night  (Act  II, 
sc.  5),  Malvolio  exclaims,  after  examining  the  seal  on 
a  letter:  "  By  your  leave,  wax.  Soft! — and  the  impres- 
sure  her  Lucrece  with  which  she  uses  to  seal."  The 
choice  of  this  image  for  a  betrothal  ring  must  have  been 
intended  either  as  a  tribute  to  the  lady's  chastity,  or 
else  as  a  kind  of  amulet  to  protect  her  from  attacks  on 
her  virtue. 

The  talismanic  quality  of  the  turquoise  is  noted  by 
Edward  Fenton,  in  his  "  Secrets  of  Nature"  (1569), 
wherein  he  says :  "  The  Turkeys  doth  move  when  there 
is  any  perill  prepared  to  him  that  weareth  it."  In  his 
commentary  on  Shakespeare's  Othello,  Steevens  re- 
marks that  the  poet  probably  had  the  mystic  virtues  of 
this  stone  in  mind  when  he  made  Shylock  mourn  the 
loss  of  the  turquoise  his  wife  Leah  had  given  him  before 
their  marriage.^^  In  the  original  text  of  this  passage 
the  name  is  spelled  "  turkie,"  and  this  old  spelling  is 
interesting  as  showing  the  identity  of  the  name  given 
to  the  stone  with  that  bestowed  upon  the  fowl  known 
to  us  as  a  turkey.  In  this  latter  case  the  spelling  and 
pronunciation  have  been  retained,  while  in  the  former 
we  have  the  modified  form  turquoise,  both  names  in- 

Catalogue  of  a  collection  of  ancient  and  modern  rings  and 
personal  ornaments  formed  for  Lady  Londesborough,  London, 
1853,  pp.  8,  9.    Privately  printed. 

Cited  in  Furness,  "  Variorum  Shakespear,"  vol.  vii 
(Othello),  Phila.,  1888,  p.  132. 


Ovir^^SD  ancC^^i throws  con/ent 
"Kat/i  tie  J  f^iV<8»  till  c^^=^  pretuent 


Curious  old  posy  ring.  The  motto  is  to  be  read:  Our 
hands  and  hearts  with  one  consent,  Hath  tied  this  knot  till 
death  prevent 

British  Museum 


Wedding  rings  with  "posies."   English,  Seventeenth  Century 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Two  Gimmal  rings,  one  double,  the  other  triple.   Betrothal  or  wedding  rings 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist"  . 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  KINGS  221 


dicating  an  association  of  the  respective  objects  with 
Turkey,  as  the  land  from  whence  they  were  erroneously 
believed  to  come.  As  Shylock's  turquoise  seems  to  have 
been  set  in  a  betrothal  ring,  it  is  singular  to  note  that  at 
the  present  day  the  turquoise  is  a  favorite  stone  for 
betrothal  rings  in  Germany. 

In  Shakespeare's  Cymbeline,  where  the  diamond  is 
so  often  mentioned  in  connection  with  a  ring  given  as  a 
sign  of  faithfulness,  a  passage  occurs  denoting  that  this 
stone  was  sometimes  set  in  a  betrothal  ring  in  Shake- 
speare's time.   The  line  runs  (Act  I,  sc.  4) : 

This  diamond  was  my  mother's:  take  it,  heart; 
But  keep  it  till  you  woo  another  wife. 

The  preciousness  and  dazzling  lustre  of  diamonds 
are  also  alluded  to  in  this  play.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  while  in  all  of  Shakespeare's  plays  the  diamond  is 
only  mentioned  twenty-one  times,  seven  of  these  men- 
tions are  in  his  Cymbeline. 

An  emblematic  wedding-ring  with  a  deep,  and  per- 
haps somewhat  ambiguous  significance,  was  bestowed 
upon  his  spouse  by  Bishop  Cokes.  Upon  it  was  en- 
graved a  hand,  a  heart,  a  mitre,  and  a  death's  head,  the 
inscription  reading : 

These  three  I  give  to  thee 
TiU  the  fourth  set  me  free.^^ 

A  frankly  humorous  inscription  was  that  placed 
upon  the  wedding-ring  of  Lady  Cathcard  when,  in  1713, 
she  wedded  her  fourth  husband,  Hugh  Maguire.  This 
was  as  follows: 

If  I  survive 
I  will  have  five 


Evans,    Posy  Rings,"  London,  1892,  p.  13. 


RINGS 


A  similar  poesy  is  said  to  have  been  used  at  a  later  date 
by  J ohn  Thomas,  Bishop  of  London,  on  the  ring  which 
he  used  at  his  fourth  marriage: 

If  I  survive 

I'll  make  them  five.*^^ 

The  Puritan  reaction  in  England  during  the  Com- 
monwealth, against  the  customs  of  the  English  Church, 
extended  to  the  use  of  the  wedding-ring,  and  Samuel 
Butler  in  his  Hudibras  alludes  to  this  tendency  in  the 
following  lines: 

Others  were  for  abolishing 
That  tool  of  matrimony,  a  ring 
With  which  the  unsanctify'ed  bridegroom 
Is  marry'd  only  to  a  thumb. 

There  is  a  possibility  that  this  curious  custom  of 
wearing  a  wedding  ring  on  the  thumb  may  have  had 
some  connection  with  the  old  fancy  that  the  second  joint 
of  the  thumb  was  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  whose 
supposed  espousal  ring  is  preserved  in  the  Cathedral 
of  Perugia.  It  is  true  that  this  ought  rather  to  apply 
to  a  betrothal  ring  than  a  wedding  ring.  The  follow- 
ing list  gives  the  religious  dedication  of  the  various 
finger-joints:  In  the  right  hand  the  upper  joint  of  the 
thumb  was  dedicated  to  God,  the  lower  joint  to  the 
Virgin;  the  first  joint  of  the  index  to  St.  Barnabas, 
the  second  to  St.  John,  the  third  to  St.  Paul;  the  first 
joint  of  the  middle  finger  to  St.  Simon  Cleophas,  the 
second  to  St.  Thaddseus,  the  third  to  St.  Joseph;  the 
first  joint  of  the  annular  to  St.  Zacchseus,  the  second  to 
St.  Stephen,  the  third  to  St.  Luke;  the  first  joint  of  the 
little  finger  to  St.  Leatus,  the  second  to  St.  Mark,  the 


51  Ihid.,  p.  13. 


PORTRAIT  OF  CLARA  EUGENIA,  DAUGHTER  OF  PHILIP  II  OF  SPAIN,  BY  GONZALES 
Rings  on  thumb  and  index  of  right  hand,  which  holds  a  miniature  of  Philip.    Elaborately  jewelled  dress 
and  splendid  pearl  necklace  and  head-ornament 
Museo  del  Prado,  Madrid 


PORTRAIT  (JF  CATARINA  MICHELA,  DAUGHTER  OF  PHILIP  II  OF  SPAIN,  BY  COELLO 

SANCHEZ 

Thumb  ring  on  right  hand  and  ring  on  index  of  same  hand;  both  with  precious-stone  settings.    Similar  rings 
on  index  and  little  fingers  of  left  hand 
Museo  del  Prado,  Madrid 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  223 


third  to  St.  Nicodemus.  The  dedication  of  the  left  hand 
fingers  was:  First  joint  of  thumb,  to  Christ,  second 
joint  to  the  Virgin;  first  joint  of  the  index  to  St.  James, 
the  second  to  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  the  third  to 
St.  Peter;  first  joint  of  the  middle  finger  to  St.  Simon, 
the  second  to  St.  Matthew,  the  third  to  St.  James  the 
Greater;  first  joint  of  the  annular  to  St.  Jude,  the 
second  to  St.  Bartholomew,  the  third  to  St.  Andrew; 
first  joint  of  the  little  finger  to  St.  Matthaias,  the 
second  to  St.  Thomas,  the  third  to  St.  Philip.^^ 

As  in  Europe  a  couple  of  centuries  ago,  so  in  the 
India  of  to-day,  a  wedding  ring  is  often  worn  on  the 
thumb.  This  is  of  gold,  about  an  inch  wide.  It  is  only 
worn,  however,  for  a  short  period,  sometimes  only  dur- 
ing the  several  days  devoted  to  the  celebration  of  the 
wedding  ceremonies;  in  other  cases,  it  is  worn  for  six 
months,  or  occasionally  even  for  twelve  months  after 
marriage.  Eventually  it  is  melted  down,  the  precious 
metal  being  then  worked  up  into  some  other  ornament.*^^ 

The  great  lexicographer,  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  was 
devotedly  attached  to  his  wife,  although  the  alliance 
can  scarcely  be  looked  upon  as  a  love  match  on  the 
learned  doctor's  side.  His  patient  devotion  to  his  sickly 
and  rather  ugly  wife  goes  to  show  how  wide  is  the 
divergence  between  theory  and  practice,  for  in  his  dic- 
tionary Johnson  defines  a  ring  as:  "a  circular  instru- 
ment placed  upon  the  noses  of  hogs  and  the  fingers  of 
women  to  restrain  them  and  bring  them  into  subjec- 
tion."   After  his  wife's  death  Dr.  Johnson  preserved 

Thomas  Joseph  Pettigrew,  "  On  Superstitions  Connected 
With  the  History  and  Practice  of  Medicine  and  Surgery," 
London,  1844,  pp.  36,  37. 

53  Col.  T.  H.  Hendley,  "  Indian  Jewellery,"  Journal  of 
Indian  Art  and  Industry,"  vol.  xii,  p.  5,  1907-1909. 


224 


RINGS 


her  wedding-ring  in  a  box  bearing  the  following 
inscription : 

"Eheu!  Eliza  Johnson,  Nupta  July  9°  1736,  Mortua, 
eheu!    Mart.  IT  1752." 

That  the  betrothal  ring  was  occasionally  worn  on 
the  index  finger  is  shown  in  two  celebrated  seventeenth 
century  pictures,  the  "  Betrothal  of  Marie  de'Medici," 
by  Rubens,  and  the  "  Betrothal  of  St.  Catherine,"  by 
Murillo.  Sometimes,  however,  the  little  finger  was 
chosen  for  this  honor  and  an  interesting  example  of 
this  custom  is  given  by  a  document  in  the  Hohenzollern 
Museum  in  Berlin.  Here  is  exhibited  a  list  of  the  rings 
worn  by  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia  on  the  day  of  her 
death,  written  down  by  her  husband,  King  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  III,  and  the  first  entry  reads:  "  Our  betrothal 
ring,  on  the  little  finger  of  the  right  hand."  The  list 
closes  with  the  following  simple  and  touching  words  in 
the  King's  handwriting:  "At  Hohenzieritz,  on  the  most 
unhappy  day  of  my  life,  July  19,  1810,"  this  being  the 
day  of  Queen  Louisa's  death.  It  may  be  noted  that 
at  the  present  day,  while  the  usual  custom  in  South 
Germany  is  to  wear  the  wedding  ring  on  the  fourth 
finger  of  the  left  hand,  in  North  Germany  the  right 
hand  is  generally  given  the  preference.  This  applies 
both  to  men  and  women. 

King  George  IV  of  England  is  said  to  have  had 
two  rings  made,  each  provided  with  a  secret  spring 
which,  on  being  pressed,  opened  a  panel  and  revealed 
the  king's  portrait  and  that  of  Mrs.  Fitzherbert,  re- 
spectively. The  ring  containing  the  king's  portrait  was 
bestowed  by  him  upon  Mrs.  Fitzherbert,  whom  he  is  said 
to  have  married  in  1785,  and  that  with  her  portrait  was 
kept  by  him,  and,  before  his  death,  entrusted  to  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  the  latter  promising  solemnly  that 
he  would  place  it  upon  his  royal  master's  breast  when 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  225 


his  remains  were  in  the  coffin.  Mrs.  Fitzherbert  left 
her  ring  to  Miss  Dawson  Darner.^*  Another  ring  given 
by  George  IV  to  Mrs.  Fitzherbert  was  exhibited  in 
the  Victoria  Exhibition,  at  the  New  Gallery,  London, 
and  is  described  as  being  a  gimmal,  the  two  hoops  closely 
fitting  together,  with  the  inscription  "  Geo.  Adolph. 
Frederick  "  on  the  inside  of  one  and  "  Maria  Anne  " 
on  that  of  the  other.^^ 

In  former  times  rings  used  to  be  presented  to  the 
chief  guests  at  a  wedding,  and  at  the  marriage  of  Queen 
Victoria  with  Prince  Albert,  six  dozen  such  rings  were 
bestowed,  each  one  having  a  profile  portrait  of  the  bride 
engraved  upon  it,  with  the  inscription,  "  Victoria 
Regina."  The  revival  of  this  graceful  custom  would 
serve  to  perpetuate  among  the  wedding  guests  the 
memory  of  the  ceremony  at  which  they  had  assisted. 

Wedding  rings  figuring  two  clasped  hands  are  still 
used  by  the  peasants  of  Normandy,  and  in  Galway  also 
rings  bearing  two  hands  clasping  a  heart  have  been 
passed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  from-  the 
mother  to  the  eldest  daughter.  This  illustrates  the  gen- 
eral rule  that  long  after  a  custom  or  a  form  of  personal 
adornment  has  ceased  to  be  in  favor  with  the  higher 
classes  it  continues  to  be  popular  with  the  peasantry. 

The  inscriptions  on  rings  occasionally  seen,  which 
appear  to  be  a  medley  of  meaningless  letters,  are  often 
the  makeup  of  two  names  interlocked,  such  as  "George" 
and  "  Sophia  "  : 

gAeIoHrPgOeS 

the  one  name  reading  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the 
left. 

G.  Bapst,  "  Les  Joyaux  de  la  Couronne,"  Paris,  1889, 

p.  18. 

^5  Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  p.  112. 
15 


226 


RINGS 


In  some  parts  of  Ireland  the  belief  in  the  special 
virtue  of  a  gold  wedding  ring  is  so  strong  that  when 
the  bridegroom  is  too  poor  to  buy  one  he  will  hire  it  for 
the  occasion,  and  it  is  reported  that  a  shopkeeper  of 
Munster  realized  quite  a  little  sum  annually  by  renting 
rings  for  weddings,  to  be  brought  back  to  him  after  the 
ceremony.  Strange  to  say,  there  is  said  to  have  been  a 
superstitious  fancy  in  Yorkshire,  England,  that  to  wed 
with  a  borrowed  ring  would  bring  good  luck.^^ 

A  Scottish  tradition  in  regard  to  a  ring  used  at  a 
wedding  is  imbued  with  the  gloomy  superstition  so 
characteristic  of  Scotland.  The  heir  of  a  noble  family 
was  about  to  be  married  to  a  Dutch  lady  of  rank,  but 
when  the  wedding-day  came  was  so  apathetic,  or  so  pre- 
occupied, that  he  forgot  the  hour  of  the  ceremony,  and 
had  to  be  hurried  from  his  breakfast  to  the  church.  In 
his  haste  he  had  forgotten  all  about  the  wedding-ring, 
and  was  obliged  to  use  a  ring  offered  to  him  by  a  by- 
stander when  the  ceremony  reached  the  point  where  one 
had  to  be  put  on  the  bride's  finger.  What  was  her 
terror,  however,  when  she  saw  that  it  was  a  mourning- 
ring  that  had  been  placed  upon  her  hand,  one  bearing 
the  sinister  design  of  a  skull  and  cross-bones.  This  she 
felt  to  be  an  omen  that  death  would  soon  overtake  her, 
and  she  brooded  so  much  over  the  happening  that  she 
sank  into  a  decline,  and  died  before  a  year  had  passed. 
The  effect  of  the  mind  upon  the  body  is  so  great,  espe- 
cially in  highly  nervous  organisms,  that  such  a  tragic 
result  of  a  mere  piece  of  carelessness  is  far  from  being 
impossible. 

In  modern  times  betrothal  rings  are  often  of  the 
type  called  "  regard  rings,"  where  the  letters  of  a  word 

William  Tegg,  "  The  Knot  Tied :  Marriage  Ceremonies 
of  All  Nations,"  London,  1877,  p.  314. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  m 


are  indicated  by  the  initial  letters  of  the  stones  set  in 
the  ring,  as,  for  example : 

R  uby 

E  merald 
G  arnet 
A  methyst 
R  uby 
D  iamond 

In  a  similar  way  the  Christian  name  of  either  of  the 
betrothed  may  be  indicated,  as,  for  instance: 

S  apphire 

0  pal 

P  eridot 
H  yalite 

1  olite 

A  methyst 

Although  a  diamond  ring  is  the  one  most  appro- 
priate as  an  engagement  ring,  it  has  long  been  recog- 
nized that  for  a  wedding  ring  nothing  can  replace  the 
simple  hoop  of  precious  metal,  which  may,  indeed,  be 
rendered  a  trifle  less  plain  by  some  very  chaste  and 
beautiful  engraving.  A  reason  for  the  preference  given 
to  the  ring  without  setting  is  offered  by  Fuller  in  his 
"  Holy  State,"  where  he  says:  "  Marriage  with  a  dia- 
mond ring  foreshadowed  evil,  because  the  interruption 
of  the  circle  augured  that  the  reciprocal  regard  of  the 
spouse  might  not  be  perpetual." 

An  attempt  is  being  made  in  Germany  to  introduce 
the  use  of  wedding-rings  with  moderate  ornamentation 
and  appropriate  mottoes  patterned  on  those  of  former 
times,  in  place  of  the  severely  plain  gold  hoop  that 
has  for  a  long  time  been  decreed  to  be  the  only  proper 

Fuller,  "  Holy  State,"  chap,  xxii,  Of  Marriage. 


228 


RINGS 


form  of  wedding-ring.  If  the  tendency  to  over-oma- 
mentation  is  kept  strictly  within  bounds  and  if  the 
mottoes  are  well  chosen,  there  is  some  reason  to  think 
that  the  innovation,  or  rather  revival,  may  meet  with 
some  success,  as  it  will  afford  scope  for  individuality  of 
taste  to  assert  itself,  and  for  the  expression  of  senti- 
ment in  a  way  that  has  not  been  possible  under  present 
conditions. 

A  wedding  rmg  of  iron  and  gold  artistically  com- 
bined has  gained  some  favor  of  late,  as  symbolizing  the 
union  of  strength  and  beauty,  of  the  more  solid  with 
the  more  brilliant  qualities.  The  uncompromising  plain- 
ness of  the  plain  gold  ring,  which  represented  a  reaction 
to  primitive  forms  from  the  over-ornamentation  of  the 
Rococo  period,  will  probably  give  place  to  certain  simple 
and  chaste  designs  which  can  be  made  to  symbolize  some 
of  the  thoughts  and  sentiments  connected  with  the  mar- 
riage ceremony.  But  the  unstable,  oxidizing  quality  of 
the  iron  will  not  recommend  this  metal  for  durability. 

The  recurrence  of  a  great  national  crisis  will  often 
cause  the  revival  of  some  custom  or  usage  of  an  earlier 
one.  Thus  it  is  that  in  the  present  War  of  Nations, 
Germans  have  revived  the  practice  of  exchanging  gold 
rings  for  iron  ones  that  was  resorted  to  in  the  dark  time 
of  Napoleonic  supremacy  in  Germany.  The  total  value 
of  the  metal  secured  in  this  way  is  of  course  relatively 
small,  though  not  entirely  negligible,  but  the  spirit  of 
devotion  to  the  Vaterland  finds  both  a  real  and  a  sym- 
bolic expression  in  the  deposition  of  many  a  valued 
heirloom  on  the  country's  altar.  To  avoid  a  rust  stain 
on  the  finger  these  iron  rings — which  usually  bear  the 
figure  of  the  Iron  Cross — are  frequently  lined  with  a 
thin  layer  of  gold.  Not  only  rings  but  gold  and  silver 
objects  of  all  kinds  and  valuable  jewels  have  been 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  229 


brought  in  by  patriotic  Germans,  to  such  an  extent, 
indeed,  that  the  Viennese  jewellers  are  urging  that  the 
metals  should  be  immediately  melted,  as  in  case  the 
objects  or  ornaments  should  be  put  on  the  market,  they 
would  compete  disastrously  with  the  jewellers'  shops. 
It  is  stated  that  up  to  the  middle  of  September,  1915, 
as  many  as  five  thousand  wedding  rings  were  donated 
in  the  single  Prussian  province  of  Posen,  and  the  esti- 
mate has  been  made  that  about  one  million  dollars  will 
be  realized  from  the  total  offerings  throughout  the 
Germanic  countries. 

The  ancients  and  the  alchemists  called  gold  the  metal 
of  the  sun  and  silver  the  metal  of  the  moon,  but  within 
the  past  two  centuries  the  world  has  become  familiar 
with  platinum,  a  metal  of  equal  dignity  with  gold,  but 
with  the  pure  whiteness  of  the  somewhat  tarnishable 
silver. 

Platinum,  because  of  its  durability  and  purity,  may 
well  be  called  the  metal  of  Heaven,  and  within  the  past 
century  we  have  added  to  our  list  of  metals  aluminum,  a 
metal  which  constitutes  a  fair  percentage  of  the  earth's 
surface.  This  can  be  appropriately  termed  the  metal 
of  the  earth.  These  two  metals,  platinum  and  alu- 
minum, have  been  used  to  a  great  extent;  platinum  for 
the  purpose  of  mounting  jewels — the  stars  of  Heaven, 
as  it  were,  in  their  heavenly  setting — and  aluminum, 
the  metal  of  earth,  for  a  great  variety  of  purposes. 

Surely  platinum,  the  metal  of  Heaven,  is  a  most 
appropriate  material  for  a  wedding  ring,  and  as  gold 
has  always  been  termed  the  metal  of  man,  so  platinum, 
the  metal  of  Heaven,  might  be  dedicated  to  woman,  the 
fairest  gift  of  Heaven,  and  an  alliance  ring  made  of 
these  two  metals  would  be  an  ideal  matrimonial  ring. 

Many  of  those  who  were  married  before  platinum 


£30 


RINGS 


was  used  for  wedding  rings  have  recourse  to  an  ingen- 
ious device  by  which  a  plate  of  platinum  is  spun  or 
turned  over  the  entire  part  of  the  setting  which  is 
visible,  so  that  the  gold  ring  will  appear  to  be  of  plati- 
num, either  plain,  carved  or  chased.  Great  ingenuity 
is  required  in  this  mounting,  because  it  is  in  most  cases 
impossible  to  permit  the  metal  to  do  more  than  touch 
the  inner  part  of  the  ring.  Otherwise,  the  size  of  the 
circlet  would  be  reduced.  Alliance  rings  are  sometimes 
made  one  side  gold  and  one  side  platinum. 

At  the  present  time  many  platinum  wedding  rings 
are  made  perfectly  plain,  others  are  engraved  with  a 
laurel  wreath,  as  a  peace  or  anti-divorce  symbol,  with 
oak  leaves  for  strength,  ivy  for  clinging  devotion,  and 
some  other  symbolic  devices.  Many  alliance  rings  are 
made  of  two  parts,  one  bearing  the  names  of  the 
engaged  couple,  the  other  the  date  of  the  engagement. 
Narrow  gold  rings  with  diamond  settings  are  also  used, 
closely  resembling  the  type  of  diamond  ring  that  has 
been  worn  as  a  guard-ring  for  many  years. 

That  men  should  be  forced  to  wear  wedding  rings 
is  a  proposition  recently  agitated  in  London.  Public 
attention  was  called  to  this  question  by  newspaper  re- 
ports to  the  effect  that  a  young  lady  had  testified  at  a 
divorce  suit  that  she  had  innocently  encouraged  the 
attentions  of  a  married  man,  because  she  had  no  means 
of  knowing  that  he  was  married.  In  many  continental 
countries  married  men  are  always  expected  to  wear  such 
rings,  although  there  is  of  course  no  legal  compulsion  to 
do  so,  any  more  than  in  the  case  of  a  wife.  We  can 
hardly  deny  that  anything  serving  to  fix  the  status  of 
both  men  and  women  in  the  matter  of  their  marital 
relations  is  eminently  desirable. 

Apropos  of  wedding  rings,  the  notice  of  a  special 


Lady's  gold  ring,  with  French  motto:   " Mon  caeur  est  a  vous"  (My  heart  is  yours) 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Ornamental  wedding  rings,  and  separable  alliance  wedding  ring  of  "gimmal"  type  closed  and  open 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  231 


marriage  ceremony  performed  for  a  man  and  woman 
who  were  both  ardent  advocates  of  woman  suffrage, 
suggests  that  such  unions  might  be  signalized  by  the 
use  of  a  ring  of  a  characteristic  type.  In  this  case  the 
parties  to  the  marriage  contract  were  careful  to  em- 
phasize the  fact  that  the  union  was  one  between  equals, 
each  of  whom  made  the  same  pledge  of  fidelity  and 
love  to  the  other.  Perhaps  a  ring  enamelled  with  the 
suffragette  colors  might  be  acceptable  to  the  pioneers 
of  the  new  era.  As  in  many  old-fashioned  marriages 
the  woman  was  accorded  a  de  facto  primacy,  the  man 
who  willingly  accepts  the  doctrine  of  the  equality  of 
the  sexes  may  be  rather  a  gainer  than  a  loser  by  his 
adherence  to  the  new  faith. 

In  England,  it  is  said  that  a  movement  has  been 
initiated  to  abolish  the  use  of  the  wedding-ring,  possibly 
in  some  sense  as  a  war  measure,  to  constitute  a  slight 
check  on  the  use  of  gold  for  ornamental  purposes.  It 
is,  however,  conjectured  that  its  real  source  is  rather  to 
be  sought  in  the  general  movement  for  the  complete 
independence  of  women,  the  wedding-ring  being  looked 
upon  by  some  extremists  as  an  antiquated  badge  of 
slavery.  It  is  hardly  probable  that  such  a  movement 
will  meet  with  any  considerable  measure  of  success,  for 
the  idea  that  the  ring  is  a  symbol  of  faith  has  become 
too  deeply  rooted  in  the  popular  mind  to  warrant  the 
rejection  of  the  time-honored  usage. 

Perhaps  the  objection  of  the  extreme  advocates  of 
"  woman's  rights  "  might  be  satisfied  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  an  interchange  of  rings  both  at  engagements  and 
marriages.  This  exchange  of  rings  is  an  acknowledge 
ment  of  the  mutuality  of  the  relation,  and  it  has  been 
practiced,  and  still  is  practiced  in  many  countries  on 
the  European  continent.    Moreover,  the  introduction 


232 


RINGS 


of  this  usage  in  England  and  the  United  States  would 
afford  scope  for  a  broadening  of  the  symbolism  con- 
nected with  these  rings,  by  differentiating  them  in  some 
way,  so  that  they  might  signify  the  special  virtues  each 
of  the  contracting  parties  bring  to  their  mutual  relation. 
This  differentiation  would  in  no  wise  imply  any  sub- 
jection, but  would  merely  emphasize  those  fundamental 
distinctions,  without  which  the  true  progress  of  the  world 
would  be  checked.  Real  equality  consists  in  the  un- 
trammeled  development  of  the  characteristic  excellences, 
not  in  any  arbitrary  reduction  of  all  to  some  precon- 
ceived standard. 

Of  all  the  marriage-medals  that  have  been  struck 
none  can  be  said  to  equal  in  beauty  of  design  and  ten- 
derness of  sentiment  that  designed  in  1895  by  the  great 
French  medallist  Oscar  Roty  (1846-1911).  The  ob- 
verse shows  the  bridegroom  about  to  place  the  wedding- 
ring  on  the  bride's  hand,  but  in  the  very  act  of  doing  so, 
he  is  impelled  to  look  upward,  as  though  calling  for 
Heaven's  blessing  upon  his  marriage.  The  girlish  bride 
has  her  head  slightly  bent  down  in  token  of  assent.  The 
scene  is  in  the  open  country ;  the  figures  are  seated  oppo- 
site to  one  another  on  plain  stone  seats,  and  the  land- 
, scape  background  is  Rafaelesque  in  its  delicate  beauty. 
Beneath,  in  the  exergue,  is  the  single  word  "  Semper," 
an  earnest  that  the  solemn  contract  so  gladly  and  so 
religiously  entered  into  will  be  kept  for  this  world  and 
for  the  great  future.  The  reverse  shows  a  statue  of 
Cupid  on  a  fountain  pedestal;  alongside  rises  the  trunk 
of  a  sturdy  oak.  On  the  right  is  ample  space  for  a 
dedicatory  inscription.  The  companion-piece,  Roty's 
second  marriage  medal,  executed  ten  or  more  years  later, 
although  a  noble  work,  falls  something  short  of  his  first 
effort.    Here  the  bridegroom,  who  displays  no  ring, 


BETROTHAL  RING  OF  GOLD  IN  FORM  OF  SO- 
CALLED  "PUZZLE  RING" 
Six  connecting  hoops,  three  of  them  enameled,  two 
others  with  clasped  hands,  and  the  sixth  with  a  key  and 
£  winged  angel's  head.   Seventeenth  Century 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


BETROTHAL  RING  OF  GOLD 
Inscribed  in  Old  French  "//  est  dit"  and  "Elleme  tien" 
(literally  "It  is  said  (spoken)"  and  "She  (or  it)  holds  me"). 
French.   Fifteenth  Century 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


LOVE  RING  OF  GOLD,  ENAMELED  AND  SET  WITH 
PRECIOUS  STONES 
The  bezel  has  a  lid  on  which  is  enameled  a  head  wearing  a 
domino  mask;  it  is  framed  by  seventeen  rubies.  When  the  lid 
is  raised  there  appears  beneath  an  oval,  enameled  with  a  heart, 
around  which  is  the  motto  :  ''Pour  vous  seule"  (For  you  alone). 
The  interior  of  the  lid  is  hollowed  out  to  serve  as  a  receptacle 
for  hair.  On  the  ribbon-like  hoop  is  the  inscription:  "Sonsle 
masque  la  verite"  (Beneath  the  mask  is  truth).  About  1800. 
Formerly  belonged  to  the  great  Viennese  tragic  actress 
Charlotte  Wolter 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  233 


kneels  before  the  bride  with  uplifted  head,  the  French 
motto  reading  "  A  EUe  Toujours  "  ("  Forever  Hers") ; 
on  the  reverse  is  a  church  altar.  Under  this  is  a  plaque, 
enclosing  which  are  roses,  oak-leaves  and  acorns. 

A  type  of  ring  of  occasional  use,  not  distantly  re- 
lated to  the  wedding  ring,  comprises  the  so-called  "paci- 
fying," or  teething  rings,  generally  made  of  ivory,  rub- 
ber or  celluloid,  and  large  enough  for  one  or  two  lingers 
of  a  child.  Diagonally  on  the  hoop  is  a  flat,  circular 
piece  of  the  same  material  as  that  of  which  the  ring  is 
made,  and  which  prevents  it  from  slipping  into  the 
mouth  of  the  child.  Upon  this  flat  piece  is  mounted  a 
small  bit  of  rubber  or  ivory  for  the  child  to  suck  or  bite 
upon,  to  develop  its  teeth,  or  at  least  to  keep  it  quiet. 

What  might  be  called  a  "  Latitude  and  Longitude 
Ring,"  would  be  an  attractive  memento  of  engagement 
and  marriage.  There  would  be  a  narrow  band  showing, 
around  it,  a  degree  of  latitude  marked  with  longitudes, 
and  having  a  small  star  at  the  place  where  the  parties  be- 
came engaged,  and  a  double  star  at  the  spot  where  they 
were  married. 

A  few  appropriate  inscriptions  on  modem  engage- 
ment rings  are  as  follows:  "  Our  engagement  ";  "  My 
love  to  thine  ";  "  To  her  who  merits  all  my  love  ";  "  To 
my  Pet " ;  "  To  my  '  Chiquita  '  from  Bill,"  this  last  in 
Spanish.  In  a  more  serious  vein  we  have:  "  Time- 
Eternity,"  and  "  Perfect  love  casteth  out  fear."  Occa- 
sionally there  is  a  note  of  sadness,  as  appears  in  the 
inscription:  "  Faithful,  but  unhappy."  A  ring  bearing 
the  words  "  Stick  to  me,  my  darling  "  may  show  that 
the  fiance  was  a  trifle  distrustful  of  his  lady  love's  con- 
stancy ;  another  who  sets  in  his  ring  "  Firm  and  True  " 
makes  us  infer  that  he  had  more  faith.  The  three  words 
"  Bessie  sweet  sixteen  "  show  that  early  engagements 


^34 


RINGS 


sometimes  occur  even  in  our  sophisticated  age.  On 
ornaments  other  than  rings,  bestowed  in  connection 
with  either  engagement  or  marriage,  we  read:  "  My 
heart  I  take  not  back  from  thee.  h.  b.  l./^  and  "  Thine 
own  wish,  wish  I  thee,  a,  b.  t.  &  r.  v.  v/^  A  curious 
inscription  runs:  "A  nasty  cold  face  and  metal  eye," 
and  we  have:  "  For  my  sake  wear  this,  it  is  a  manacle 
of  love."  Modern  wedding  rings  are  often  inscribed 
with  pious  sentiments,  such,  for  instance,  as:  "All  for 
Jesus";  "Each  for  the  other,  both  for  God";  "Our 
unity  is  Christ  ";  "  Mercifully  ordain  that  we  may  grow 
old  together";  "In  Christ  and  in  Thee  my  comfort 
shall  be  ";  "  God  gave  thee  to  me  ";  "  Through  weal 
and  through  woe,  to  each  other  on  earth,  to  God  in 
Heaven.  Always  true  to  Bertha."  A  somewhat  phil- 
osophic sentiment  appears  in  the  words:  "Ultimate 
Good,  not  present  pleasure."  Latin  inscriptions  are 
now  quite  rare,  but  here  is  one:  "  Si  Deus  nobiscum, 
quis  contra  nos?  "  (If  God  be  with  us,  who  can  be 
against  us?) 

In  other  cases  the  legend  is  more  worldly:  "Love 
for  Love  "  and  "  He  that  taketh  a  wife  hath  a  good 
thing."  Let  us  hope  that  this  optimist  was  not  mis- 
taken in  his  confidence.  Another  bridegroom  declares 
that  he,  at  least,  has  a  "  good  thing,"  for  he  places  in 
his  ring  the  simple  motto:  "  Carrie  suits."  If  she  suits 
him,  that  is  enough.  Lastly,  we  have  the  most  satis- 
factory inscription  of  all,  since  it  testifies  to  the  result 
of  one  fortunate  experiment;  this  reads:  "  In  token  of 
30  years  fidelity  as  Wife  and  Mother." 

The  use  of  a  diamond  ring  for  betrothals  seems  to 
have  been  general  toward  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, for  royal  personages  at  least,  to  judge  from  a 
letter  written  from  Ghent  on  July  30,  1477,  by  Dr. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  ^35 


Wilhelm  Moroltinger  to  Archduke  (later  Emperor) 
Maximilian,  just  before  his  betrothal  to  Mary  of  Bur- 
gundy, daughter  of  Charles  the  Bold.  This  letter  runs: 
"At  the  betrothal  your  Grace  must  have  a  ring  set  with 
a  diamond  and  also  a  gold  ring.  Moreover,  in  the 
morning  your  Grace  must  bestow  upon  the  bride  some 
costly  jewels." 

From  time  immemorial  we  have  had  wedding-rings, 
but  it  seems  that  in  view  of  the  great  number  of  divorces 
now  granted  we  might  well  introduce  the  custom  of 
giving  "  divorce-rings,"  for  at  no  time  in  the  history  of 
the  Christian  world  have  there  been  more  divorces  than 
at  the  present  day.  This  divorce-ring  might  be  differ- 
entiated from  the  old-fashioned  wedding-ring  by  sub- 
stituting the  inscription  a  b  c  from  d  e  f  for  a  b  c  and 

D  E  F. 

A  novel  idea  in  divorce-rings  is  reported  from 
Chicago,  where  a  fashionable  divorcee  had  her  wedding- 
ring  made  smaller  so  that  she  could  wear  it  on  the  little 
finger  of  her  left  hand  as  a  divorce-ring.  However, 
we  fear  that  if  this  idea  should  be  generally  adopted, 
the  little  finger  would  scarcely  offer  room  for  the  series 
of  rings  that  some  of  our  theatrical  stars  would  have  to 
wear.  Perhaps  in  some  cases  this  wearing  of  the  wed- 
ding-ring, even  in  a  modified  form,  after  a  divorce, 
might  be  intended  to  indicate  that  the  old  love  had  not 
wholly  vanished,  and  that  some  day  those  who  had  been 
put  asunder  could  be  rejoined,  as  occasionally  happens 
now-a-days. 

At  weddings  in  Tunis,  the  Arabs  have  the  custom 
of  placing  the  wedding-ring  upon  the  first  finger  of 
the  left  hand,  and  the  finger  and  toe-nails  of  the  bride 

Jahrbuch  der  Kunsthistorischen  Sammlungen  des  aller- 
hochsten  Kaiserhauses,  vol.  i,  Pt.  II,  p,  xxi,  Wien,  1883. 


236 


RINGS 


receive  an  especially  rich  coloring  of  henna  on  this 
occasion,  staining  them  a  deep  red;  her  eyebrows  also 
are  heavily  pencilled  and  joined  across  the  nose  so  that 
they  form  a  single  bar  over  the  eyes.  In  order  to  make 
the  home-coming  as  auspicious  as  possible,  a  gilded  pair 
of  horns  are  set  above  the  portal  of  the  house,  along 
with  the  favorite  charm  known  as  "  the  hand  of 
Fatima,"  believed  to  afford  safety  from  the  malign 
influence  of  the  Evil  Eye,  so  much  dreaded  in  the  East 
and  in  some  Occidental  lands  also.^^ 

An  interesting  incident  in  which  a  ring  plays  an 
important  part  is  related  in  connection  with  the  visit 
of  Secretary,  afterward  President  Taft,  accompanied 
by  a  number  of  prominent  Americans,  to  the  Sulu 
Islands  a  few  years  ago.  Mrs.  Longworth,  then  Miss 
Alice  Hoosevelt,  was  one  of  the  party,  and  the  Sultan 
of  Sulu,  Jamalul  Kiram  II,  expressed  a  great  desire 
to  be  introduced  to  her.  The  favor  was  readily  accorded, 
and  on  the  day  set  for  the  interview  the  Sultan  and 
several  Sulu  dattos,  or  chiefs,  duly  presented  them- 
selves. One  of  the  dattos  was  a  mortal  enemy  of  the 
Sultan,  but  naturally  on  this  occasion  all  personal  or 
political  feuds  were  forgotten  for  the  time  being.  After 
the  Sultan  had  been  presented  to  Miss  Roosevelt,  came 
the  turn  of  the  rebellious  datto,  who  approached  the 
sprightly  young  American  girl,  greeted  her,  and  pre- 
sented to  her  a  native  pearl  of  great  beauty,  which  was 
graciously  accepted. 

The  chagrin  of  the  Sultan  may  easily  be  imagined, 
for  he  had  forgotten  to  provide  himself  with  a  suitable 
gift,  and  now  his  mortal  enemy  was  basking  in  the  sun- 
shine of  favor,  while  he  himself,  the  lord  paramount, 

Johnson,  "  Tunis  of  To-day  " ;  in  the  National  Geo- 
graphic Magazine,  vol.  xxii,  p.  747;  No.  8,  Aug.,  1911. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  237 


was  neglected.  Suddenly  his  eye  fell  upon  a  ring  set 
with  a  magnificent  pearl  which  he  wore  on  his  left  hand. 
He  immediately  took  off  this  ring,  and  again  approach- 
ing Miss  Roosevelt,  gave  it  to  her.  As  the  Sultan's 
pearl  far  exceeded  in  beauty  and  value  that  given  by 
the  datto,  the  former's  dignity  was  cleared  of  all  re- 
proach and  the  situation  was  saved.  A  curious  sequel 
to  this  incident  was  the  circulation  of  a  report  in  the 
press  to  the  effect  that  the  Sultan  of  Sulu  had  made 
an  offer  of  marriage  to  Miss  Roosevelt.  This  proved 
how  closely  the  gift  of  a  ring  is  associated  with  the  idea 
of  engagement  or  marriage. 

A  Pennsylvania  (U.S.A.)  court  has  been  called 
upon  to  decide  whether  the  gift  of  an  engagement  ring 
bestowed  by  a  man  just  prior  to  a  declaration  of  bank- 
ruptcy, should  be  looked  upon  as  a  transfer  of  assets 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  creditors.  The  fact  that  in  this 
case  the  fair  recipient  of  the  ring  was  a  jeweller's 
daughter  might  be  thought  to  render  it  likely  that  this 
particular  engagement  ring  was  of  substantial  intrinsic 
value.   The  court  reserved  its  decision. 

A  choice  of  pretty  "  posies  "  for  rings  was  offered 
to  seventeenth  century  readers  in  a  London  publication 
entitled  "  Love's  Garland;  or  Posies  for  Rings,  Hand- 
kerchiefs and  Gloves,  and  Such  Pretty  Tokens  as 
Lovers  Send  Their  Loves."  Unyielding  constancy 
found  expression  in  the  couplets: 

Where  once  I  choose 
I  ne'er  refuse. 

Hearts  content 
Can  ne'er  repent. 


238 


RINGS 


Another  verse  makes  a  very  modest  claim  for  an 
expression  of  gratitude  on  the  part  of  the  recipient; 

The  sight  of  this 
Deserves  a  kiss. 

The  warmth  of  reciprocated  love  is  thus  asserted: 

In  thee  a  flame 
In  me  the  same. 

Another  lover  wishes  to  proclaim  that  his  love  will 
rise  superior  to  all  offenses: 

No  bitter  smart 
Can  change  my  heart. 

A  more  serious  and  trusting  posy  runs: 

To  me  till  death 
As  dear  as  breath. 

A  ring  mentioned  in  an  old  English  record  dating 
from  1473,  offers  apparently  an  early  example  of  a 
so-called  "  posy  "  ring.  It  is  here  termed  a  "  hope 
rynge  with  scrytorio  "  (inscription)  ;  this,  together  with 
a  brooch  adorned  with  the  figure  of  a  "  jyntylle  woman," 
was  pledged  with  a  certain  Kichard  Walker  to  secure  a 
small  loan  of  £4  8d.^^ 

A  good  example  of  a  "  ring  posie  "  is  given  by  Ben 
Jonson  in  his  play  "  The  Magnetic  Lady,  or  Humours 
Reconciled,"  first  licensed  for  performance  in  1632,  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Charles  I,  and  but  five  years  before 
Jonson's  death.  Here,  when  bride  and  groom  come 
before  the  parson  to  be  wedded,  he  asks  the  bridegroom: 

Have  you  a  wedding  ring? 

Historical  Manuscripts  Commission,  Twelfth  Report, 
Appendix,  Pt.  IV,  MSS.  of  Duke  of  Rutland  at  Belvoir  Castle, 
vol.  i,  London,  1888,  p.  6. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  239 


To  which  the  latter  replies : 

Aj,  and  a  posie: 
Annulus  hie  nobis,  quod  sic  uterque,  dabit. 

This  the  parson  quickly  renders  as  follows: 

This  ring  will  give  you  what  you  both  desire; 
I'll  make  the  whole  house  shout  it,  and  the  parish. 

On  other  pages  a  number  of  characteristic  and  strik- 
ing ring-inscriptions  are  given,  but  in  view  of  the  wide 
range  of  these  "  posies  "  (poesies)  and  mottoes,  a  fairly 
full  list  of  them,  compiled  from  various  sources,  may 
be  of  interest  here.^^  The  French  mottoes  are  nearly 
all  in  Old  French,  and  the  English  spellings  of  those 
of  the  seventeenth  century  are  delightfully  irregular. 

Till  death  divide. 

NemiO  nisi  mors. 
(No  one  but  Death). 

Tout  pour  bein  feyre, 
(All  to  do  weU). 

In  bone  fay. 
(In  good  faith). 

Sans  mal  desyr, 
(Without  evil  wish). 

Amor  'vmcit  om. 

(Love  conquers  all  things). 

Till  my  hfe's  end. 

A  number  of  posies  of  the  list  comes  from  Joseph  Mas- 
kell's  excellent  little  monograph,  "  The  Wedding-Ring,"  Lon- 
don, 1888,  pp.  31-35. 


RINGS 

Erunt  duo  m  carne  una. 

(The J  shall  be  two  in  one  flesh). 

Semper  amemus, 
(May  we  love  forever). 

In  Christ  and  thee  my  comfort  be. 

Honeur  et  joye, 
(Honor  and  joy). 

Let  reason  rule  affection. 
God  continue  to  love  us. 

Mon  cur  avez, 

(You  have  my  heart). 

Deuw  corps  ung  cuer. 

(Two  bodies  and  one  heart). 

Amour  et  Constance, 
(Love  and  constancy). 

God  unite  our  hearts  aright. 
Knit  in  one  by  Christ  alone. 
God's  providence  is  our  inheritance. 
Our  contract  was  heaven's  act. 
In  thee,  my  choice,  do  I  rejoice. 
God  above  increase  our  love. 
My  heart  and  I,  until  I  dye. 
J[Not  two,  but  one,  till  life  be  gone. 
When  this  you  see,  remember  me. 
Julia  is  mine  own  peculiar. 
I  cannot  show  the  love  I  O. 

We  strangely  met,  and  so  do  many. 
But  now  as  true  as  ever  any.  1658. 


PORTRAIT  OF  YOUNG  WOMAN.  DUTCH  SCHOOL 
e  rings  on  little  fingers  of  right  and  left  hands;  large  ring  on  third  joint  of  left-hand  fourth  finger,  and  smaller 
one  on  second  joint  of  the  same  finger;  plain  gold  ring  (wedding  ring?)  on  fourth  finger  of  left  hand 
Kaiserliche  Gemalde-Galerie,  Vienna 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  MAN,  BY  THE  ARTIST  KNOWN  AS  THE  "MASTER  OF  THE  DEATH  OF  MARY,' 
FROM  HIS  MOST  NOTED  PICTURE 
Rings  on  index  and  little  fingers  of  right  hand 
Konigliche  Gemalde-Galerie,  Cassel 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  241 

As  we  begun,  so  let's  continue. 

My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  hers. 

True  blue  will  never  stain.  1653. 

Against  thou  goest,  I  will  provide  another.  1658. 

In  loving  thee,  I  love  myself.  1658. 

Let  him  never  take  a  wife, 
That  will  not  love  her  as  his  life. 

{  A  heart  content  cannot  repent^ 
I  do  not  repent  I  gave  consent. 
No  gift  can  show  the  love  I  owe. 
What  the  heart  saw  the  love  hath  chosen. 
Love  one  little,  but  love  one  long. 

Love  him  who  gave  thee  this  ring  of  gold, 
'Tis  he  must  kiss  thee  when  thou  art  old. 

This  circle,  though  but  small  about. 
The  devil,  jealousy,  will  keep  out. 

If  I  think  my  wife  is  fair, 

What  need  other  people  care?  165S, 

God's  appointment  is  my  contentment. 
Love,  I  like  thee ;  sweet,  requite  me. 
With  heart  and  hand  at  your  command. 

My  heart  in  silence  speaks  to  thee. 
Though  absence  barrs  tongue's  liberty. 

Faithful  ever:  deceitful  never. 
I  like,  I  love  as  turtle  dove. 
As  gold  is  pure,  so  love  is  sure. 
Despise  not  mee:  y*  joyes  in  thee. 


242 


RINGS 


If  you  deny,  then  sure  I  dye. 
Your  right  is  my  delight. 
As  true,  bee  just. 

No  better  smart  shall  change  my  heart. 

This  ring  is  a  token  I  give  to  thee, 
That  thou  no  tokens  do  change  for  me. 

My  dearest  Betty  is  good  and  pretty.  1658. 

I  did  commit  no  act  of  folly, 

When  I  married  my  sweet  Molly.  1658. 

'Tis  fit  no  man  should  be  alone. 

Which  made  Tom  to  marry  Joan.  1658. 

Sue  is  bonny,  blythe,  and  brown ; 

This  ring  hath  made  her  now  my  own.  1658. 

Like  Phillis  there  is  none : 

She  truly  loves  her  Choridon.  1658. 

My  life  is  done  when  thou  art  gone.  1653. 

This  hath  no  end,  my  sweetest  friend  : 
Our  loves  be  so,  no  ending  know. 

God  send  her  me  my  wife  to  be. 

As  God  decreed  so  we  agreed. 

Take  hand  and  heart,  I'll  ne'er  depart. 

Love  and  dye  in  constancy. 

A  virtuous  wife  that  serveth  life. 

As  long  as  life  y'"  loving  wife. 

I  will  be  yours  while  breath  endures. 

Love  is  sure  where  faith  is  pure. 

A  virtuous  wife  doth  banish  strife. 

God  did  forsee  we  should  agree, 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  243 

Love  me,  and  be  happy. 

None  can  prevent  the  Lord's  intent. 

Virtue  surpasses  riches. 

Let  virtue  rest  within  thy  breast. 

Time  lesseneth  not  my  love. 

Joye  without  end. 

Let  lykinge  last. 

This  and  giver  are  thine  for  ever. 
Think  on  mee. 
Let  love  increase. 

Thou  art  my  star,  be  not  irregular.  1653.^^ 

Without  thy  love  I  backward  move.  1613. 
Thine  eyes  so  bright  are  my  chief  delight.  1653. 
This  intimates  true  lovers'  states.  1653. 

Thou  wert  not  handsome,  wise,  but  rich ; 
'Twas  that  which  did  my  eyes  bewitch.  1658.^^ 

As  we  begun,  so  let's  continue,  1658. 

What  the  eye  saw  the  heart  hath  chosen.  1658. 

More  faithful  than  fortunate.  1658. 

Constancy  and  heaven  are  round, 
And  in  this  the  emblem's  found. 

As  God  hath  knit  our  hearts  in  one. 
Let  nothing  part  but  death  alone. 

From  the  "  Card  of  Courtship,  or  the  Language  of  Love," 
published  in  1653 ;  cited  in  Tegg's  "  The  Knot  Tied,"  London, 
1877. 

From  "  The  Mysteries  of  Love  and  Elequence,"  London, 
1658;  in  Tegg's  "  The  Knot  Tied." 


244 


RINGS 


God  our  love  continue  ever, 

That  we  in  heaven  may  live  together. 

Weare  me  out,  love  shall  not  waste, 
Love  beyond  lyvie  still  is  placed. 

Weare  this  text,  and  when  you  looke 
Uppon  your  finger,  sweare  by  th'  booke. 

There  is  no  other,  and  I  am  he. 
That  loves  no  other,  and  thou  art  she. 

Eye  doth  find,  heart  doth  choose. 
Faith  doth  bind,  death  doth  loose. 

As  God  hath  made  my  chyce  in  thee, 
So  move  thy  heart  to  comfort  me. 

God  y*  hath  kept  thy  heart  for  mee. 
Grant  that  our  love  may  faithful  bee. 

Fear  ye  the  Lord  then  rest  content, 
So  shall  we  live  and  not  repent. 

Divinely  knit  by  grace  are  wee, 

Late  two,  now  one,  ye  pledge  here  see.  1657. 

Breake  not  thy  vow  to  please  the  eye, 
But  keepe  thy  love,  so  live  and  dye. 

Love  thy  chast  wife  beyond  thy  life.    160  L 
I  love  the  rod  and  thee  and  God.  1646. 
Pray  to  love;  love  to  pray.  1649. 
More  weare — more  wear.  1652. 
Endless  as  this  shall  be  our  bliss.  1719. 
Be  truly  wise  lest  death  surprise. 
Live  in  love  and  fear  the  Lord. 
Godly  love  will  not  remove. 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS 


United  hearts  death  only  partes. 

You  and  I  will  lovers  die. 

We  joyn  our  love  in  Christ  above. 

God  gives  increase  to  love  and  peace, 

God  did  decree  our  unitie. 

Heart  content  cannot  repent. 

Live,  love,  and  be  happie. 

Noe  heart  more  true  than  mine  to  you. 

In  thee  I  find  content  of  mind. 

A  blessing  we  do  hope  to  see. 

In  love  divine  we  love  to  joine. 

Hearts  united  live  contented. 

In  love  and  joy  I  will  live  and  die. 

In  thy  breast  my  heart  shall  rest. 

The  love  is  true  that  I.O.U. 

My  love  is  fixed  I  will  not  range. 
I  like  my  choice  too  well  to  change. 

This  is  the  thing  I  wish  to  win. 
My  promise  past  shall  ever  last. 
Well  projected  if  accepted. 
God  thought  fit  this  knott  to  knitt. 

Thy  Desart  hath  won  my  heart. 

True  love  is  the  bond  of  peace. 

Let  our  contest  be  who  loves  best. 

Thine  eyes  so  bright  are  my  chief  delight. 

Our  loves  be  so  no  ending  know. 

My  pledge  I  prove  of  mutuall  love. 

Gift  and  giver,  your  servants  ever. 


RINGS 
Lei  ami  avet. 

(Thou  hast  a  loyal  friend). 

Remember  Him  who  died  for  thee, 
And  after  that  remember  me. 

Take  hand  and  heart,  ile  ne'er  depart. 

Breake  not  thy  vow  to  please  the  eye, 
But  keepe  thy  love,  so  live  and  dye. 

I  will  be  yours  while  breath  endures. 

I  am  sent  to  salute  you  from  a  faithfuU  friend. 

This  and  my  heart. 

Too  light  to  requite. 

Your  sight,  my  delight. 

For  a  kiss,  take  this. 

My  heart  you  have  and  yours  I  crave. 

The  want  of  thee  is  grief  to  mee. 

Privata  di  te  moriro. 
(Deprived  of  thee  I  shall  die). 

Mon  esprit  est  partout, 
Mon  cceur  est  avec  vous. 
(My  mind  is  everywhere. 
My  heart  is  with  you). 

FaithfuU  ever,  deceitfull  never. 
God's  blessing  be  on  thee  and  me. 
Love  him  in  heart  whose  joy  thou  art. 
A  loving  wife  prolongeth  life. 
Desire  hath  set  my  heart  on  fire. 
Both  or  neither,  chuse  you  whether. 
Parting  is  vayne  when  love  doth  remayne. 


4 


6 


SOME  RINGS  IN  THE  MUSEUM  OF  FINE  ARTS,  BOSTON 
1,  silver  and  gilt;  pierced  with  scrolls  and  the  "Little  Monk"  of  Munich.  Modern.  Bava- 
rian. 2,  Tyrolese.  Peasant's  engagement  ring  of  silver  with  design  of  two  hearts  and  scrolls. 
S,  French  (?).  Said  to  have  belonged  to  a  collateral  branch  of  the  Montmorency  family.  Gold, 
large  garnet  with  emerald  each  side;  the  crown  composed  of  pearls  and  small  diamonds.  Bought 
in  London.  4,  Chinese  ornament.  5,  heavy  silver,  set  with  malachite.  6,  Chinese  ornament. 
7,  Italian  (.'').  Peasant's  engagement  ring  of  silver.  8,  Italian.  Gold,  set  with  a  turquoise,  a 
horse's  head  in  white  enamel  at  either  side.  9,  Tyrolese.  Silver,  set  with  a  chamois  tooth  for 
good  luck.  10,  French.  Bishop's  ring  of  gold  and  silver.  Enameled  bezel  set  with  an  almandine 
and  diamonds.  Bought  in  Geneva.  11,  Italian.  Sixteenth  Century  style.  Gold  set  with  a 
garnet.  12,  Italian  (.'*).  Silver,  set  with  a  large  crystal  (?).    Black  and  white  enamel  on  bezel. 

13,  Italian.  Gold,  set  with  a  cluster  of  red  and  green  stones  alternating;  a  crystal  in  the  centre. 

14,  gilt,  set  with  red  glass  (?).  15,  bronze,  decoration  in  relief.  16,  Italian.  Gold  set  with 
turquoises.  17,  French  (?).  Gold,  set  with  a  brilliant.  18  ,Laplandish.  Silver-gilt  with  pierced 
design 


BETROTHAL  AND  WEDDING  RINGS  247 


I  fancy  none  but  thee  alone. 
God  sent  her  me  my  wife  to  be. 
This  is  your  will,  to  save  or  kill. 
If  you  deny,  then  sure  I  dye. 
Your  sight,  my  delight. 
Joyfull  love  this  ring  do  prove. 
In  thee  I  prove  the  joy  of  love. 
Silence  ends  strife  with  man  and  wife. 
This  ring  doth  binde  body  and  minde. 
Death  never  parts  such  loving  hearts. 
Body  and  mind  in  thee  I  finde. 

Ryches  be  unstable 

And  beauty  will  dekay, 
But  faithful  love  will  ever  last 

Till  death  dryve  it  away. 

One  of  those  posies  might  seem  to  refer  covertly  to 
the  length  of  the  foregoing  list : 

This  hath  no  end,  my  sweetest  friend.  1653. 

The  sacred  and  peculiar  quality  of  a  ring  that  has 
been  given  to  a  man  by  his  wife  as  a  memorial  of  mar- 
riage is  expressed  in  strong  terms  in  Shakespeare's 
Merchant  of  Venice  (Act  v,  sc.  1).  One  of  these  rings 
was  given  by  Nerissa  to  Gratiano,  the  other  by  Portia 
to  Bassanio.  When  Gratiano  is  charged  with  having 
parted  with  his  ring,  he  defends  himself  by  making  light 
of  it  but  is  rebuked  for  this  by  Nerissa.  The  verses  run 
as  follows: 

Gratiano:     ...     a  hoop  of  gold,  a  paltry  ring 
That  she  did  give  me,  whose  posy  was 
For  all  the  world  like  cutler's  poetry 
Upon  a  knife,  "  Love  me,  and  leave  me  not." 


248 


RINGS 


Nerissa;  What  talk  you  of  the  posy  or  the  value? 

You  swore  to  me,  when  I  did  give  it  you, 
That  you  would  wear  it  till  your  hour  of  death, 
And  that  it  should  be  with  you  in  your  grave. 

Portia,  joining  in  Nerissa's  feigned  rebuke,  says: 

You  are  to  blame,  I  must  be  plain  with  you. 
To  part  so  lightly  with  your  wife's  first  gift ; 
A  thing  stuck  on  with  oaths  upon  your  finger 
And  so  riveted  with  faith  unto  your  flesh. 
I  gave  my  love  a  ring  and  made  him  swear 
Never  to  part  with  it;  and  here  he  stands; 
I  dare  be  sworn  for  him  he  would  not  leave  it, 
Nor  pluck  it  from  his  finger,  for  the  wealth 
That  the  world  masters. 

Bassanio,  however,  is  forced  to  confess  that  he,  too, 
has  relinquished  his  ring.  Of  course,  as  all  readers  of 
Shakespeare  know,  both  Portia  and  Nerissa  have  these 
rings  in  their  own  possession,  since  they  themselves  were, 
in  disguise,  the  judge  and  the  clerk  to  whom  Bassanio 
and  Gratiano  unwillingly  yielded  them. 

While  the  finger-ring  was  known  to  the  Chinese  from 
a  very  early  period,  it  never  seems  to  have  enjoyed  great 
favor  with  them.  According  to  primitive  court  etiquette 
in  that  land,  the  Emperor's  "  leading  lady  " — for  the 
time  being — had  to  wear  a  silver  ring  at  court.  In  case 
she  presented  her  sovereign  with  a  descendant,  she  was 
j^ewarded  by  the  gift  of  a  gold  ring,  which  she  wore 
on  one  of  the  fingers  of  her  left  hand.  About  the  mid- 
period  of  the  Han  dynasty  (206  B.C.-221  a.d.)  neph- 
rite (jade)  rings  were  known  as  well  as  those  with  stone 
setting  but  they  were  only  rarely  used  as  ornaments.®^ 
64  fj^  \yada,  "  Die  Schmuck-  und  Edelsteine  bei  den  Chine- 
sen,"  Tokyo,  1904,  reprint  from  the  "  Mitteilungen  "  of  the 
Deutsche  Gesellschaft  fiir  Natur-  und  Volkeskunde  Ostasiens, 
vol.  X,  Pt.  I. 


VI 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 

THE  adornment  of  rings  with  religious  emblems, 
and  their  use  as  insignia  of  office  for  the  higher 
ecclesiastics  and  for  the  priests  of  the  ancient  ethnic 
religions  will  be  considered  in  the  present  chapter.  Of 
special  interest  are  the  rings  used  by  Roman  Catholic 
popes,  cardinals  and  bishops,  the  usage  in  this  direction 
having  varied  considerably  in  the  different  periods. 
With  regard  to  the  engravings  on  many  ancient  rings 
it  may  often  be  difficult,  however,  to  know  whether  a 
religious  symbol,  or  the  conventional  figure  of  a  divinity, 
has  been  used  in  a  strictly  religious  sense,  or  merely  for 
ornamental  purposes. 

The  employment  of  rings  as  religious  symbols  is 
often  bound  up  with  their  use  in  some  other  way,  as  in 
the  case  of  many  seal  rings  for  instance.  This  was 
undoubtedly  the  case  with  a  large  number  of  the  ancient 
rings  noted  in  earlier  chapters.  Here  we  have  endeav- 
ored to  group  together  those  which  were  more  ex- 
clusively religious  in  their  character,  the  ecclesiastical 
rings,  especially  those  worn  by  Roman  Catholic  popes, 
cardinals  and  bishops,  constituting  of  course  a  large 
part  of  these.  A  very  few  examples  will  serve  as  brief 
illustrations  of  the  religious  use  of  rings  in  pagan  times. 

There  is  in  the  Louvre,  among  the  Egyptian  an- 
tiquities, a  gold  ring  engraved  with  figures  of  two  horses. 
The  symbol  of  the  Sun-God  which  it  bears  is  believed 
to  signify  the  gratitude  of  Rameses  II — to  whom  this 

249 


£50 


RINGS 


ring  is  attributed — for  the  aid  of  the  divinity  in  secur- 
ing the  king's  victory  over  the  Khetas  in  one  of  his 
Asiatic  campaigns.  Unquestionably  many  of  the  en- 
graved scarabs  set  in  Egyptian  rings  had  a  specifically 
religious  significance,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  en- 
gravings on  the  chatons  of  gold  rings,  as,  for  example, 
in  the  case  of  that  worn  by  the  priest  in  charge  of  the 
Pyramid  of  Cheops  (Khufu).  Some  of  these  have 
already  been  described  in  the  chapter  on  signets,  the 
essential  use  of  these  rings  being  for  sealing.  In  many 
other  cases  the  presence  of  a  divine  name  as  a  com- 
ponent of  the  royal  name,  or  in  a  royal  title,  probably 
had  not  much  more  of  a  distinctly  religious  meaning 
than  the  "  Dei  Gratia  "  on  the  coins  of  European  rulers. 

The  rings  worn  by  the  high  priests  of  Jupiter  (flam- 
ines  Diales),  who  had,  ex-officio,  the  rank  of  senators, 
were  made  hollow  and  of  openwork.  This  particular 
form  is  said  to  have  been  chosen  for  mystic  and  symbolic 
reasons,  as  showing  that  everything  indicating  hardness 
or  severity,  the  restriction  of  liberty,  or  arduous  labor, 
was  to  be  held  aloof  from  this  flamen,  who,  with  those 
of  Mars  and  Quirinus  (Romulus),  belonged  to  the 
group  of  greater  priests  selected  from  the  patrician 
order.^  The  conjecture  that  we  should  seek  here  the 
origin  of  Christian  episcopal  rings  is  very  far-fetched, 
the  general  symbolism  of  the  ring  as  an  emblem  of 
eternity,  and  its  bestowal  as  a  mark  of  rank,  having 
been  probably  sufficient  determining  factors. 

No  one,  man  or  woman,  was  permitted  to  enter  the 
sanctuary  of  the  "  Mistress  "  at  Lycosura,  wearing  a 
ring  on  any  finger;  only  rings  destined  for  dedication 

^  Pompei  Fasti,  "  De  verborum  significatu,"  lib.  xx,  s.  v. 
Edera,  ed.  of  Ed.  Thewrewk  de  Ponor,  Budapest,  1889,  p.  58. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


251 


might  be  brought  into  the  temple.^  This  is  attested  by 
an  inscription  from  the  second  century  B.C. ;  the  regula- 
tion must,  however,  date  from  an  earlier  period.  The 
same  prohibition  as  to  wearing  rings  was  decreed  in  the 
case  of  all  those  who  wished  to  seek  for  enlightenment 
from  the  oracle  of  Faunus,  and  the  petitioners  were  also 
required  to  abstain  from  meat  and  to  preserve  their 
chastity.  The  ring  was  supposed  to  interfere  with  the 
freedom  of  the  spirit  to  receive  the  divine  grace  or 
counsel.^ 

Of  rings  apparently  dedicated  to  some  deity,  the 
rich  British  Museum  collection  has  several  examples. 
A  bronze  ring,  having  a  thin  rounded  hoop,  to  the  ends 
of  which  a  transverse  oval  plate  has  been  soldered,  bears 
an  inscription  in  Greek  letters  signifying  "  Great  is  the 
name  of  Serapis  ";  this  ring  is  late  Roman,  from  a  time 
when  the  worship  of  Serapis  was  wide-spread  in  the 
Roman  world.  An  octagonal  rmg  of  solid  gold  may 
have  been  dedicated  to  Apollo,  as  it  is  engraved  with  tlie 
name  of  this  divinity ;  the  two  sides  of  the  octagon  flank- 
ing the  central  one  bear,  respectively,  engravings  of  a 
crescent  and  of  a  star.  An  inscription  found  in  Delos 
records  several  rings  dedicated  to  the  Delian  temple  by 
Stratonice,  wife  of  Seleucos  I,  Nicator  (365-281  B.C.). 
One  of  these  was  a  gold  ring,  set  with  a  sard  on  which 
was  engraved  the  image  of  Apollo,  the  temple  god;  a 
gold  ring  dedicated  to  both  Apollo  and  Artemis,  and 
having  the  image  of  a  Victory;  and  another  gold  ring, 
set  with  a  stone  on  which  was  engraved  an  inscription 

2  Adolf  Furtwangler,  "  Die  Antiken  Gemmen,"  Leipzig  and 
Berlin,  1900,  vol.  iii,  p.  446. 

^  F.  G.  Frazer,  "  The  Golden  Bough,"  vol.  iii,  London, 
1911,  p.  314. 


252 


RINGS 


signifying  that  it  was  dedicated  by  Queen  Stratonice, 
daughter  of  Demetrius,  to  the  Artemis  of  Delos.^ 

In  a  list  of  jewels  dedicated  to  Isis,  engraved  on  the 
base  of  an  ancient  statue  of  that  goddess  at  Alicante, 
Spain,  four  rings  are  noted.  Two  of  them  had  emerald 
settings,  while  the  other  two,  placed  on  the  little  finger 
of  the  statue,  were  set  with  diamonds.  This  inscription 
contains  the  name  of  the  donor,  Fabia  Fabiana,  and 
the  statement  that  the  gift  was  made  on  behalf  of  her 
granddaughter  Avita.  The  statue  has  disappeared,  but 
the  inscription  still  calls  to  mind  the  honor  it  received  in 
long  past  time  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  jewel  decora- 
tion, for  beside  the  rings,  a  pearl  and  emerald  earring 
was  inserted  in  either  ear;  about  the  neck  was  a  neck- 
lace of  four  rows  of  emeralds  and  pearls;  two  circlets 
composed  of  eleven  beryls  and  two  emeralds  clasped  the 
ankles,  and  two  bracelets  set  with  eight  emeralds  and 
eight  pearls  spanned  the  wrists.  ^ 

There  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  "  Rabbi's 
Ring  "  worn  as  an  insignia  of  office,  although  many 
rabbis  owned  and  wore  engraved  rings,  perhaps  using 
them  as  signets.  Of  this  class  may  be  an  old  ring  re- 
ferred to  the  time  of  Judah  Hanasi  (175-247  a.d.), 
now  in  the  Albertinus  Home  in  Dresden,  Saxony.  It 
is  set  with  an  amethyst  on  which  has  been  engraved  the 
seven-branched  candlestick,  one  of  the  adornments  of 
the  Temple  and  figured  on  the  Arch  of  Titus,  in  Rome, 
as  among  the  treasures  borne  off  by  the  victorious  Ro- 
mans after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  70  a.d.  Rabbi  Judah 

^  F.  H.  Marshall,  "  Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  .  .  .  British  Museum,"  London, 
1907,  pp.  xxix,  XXX,  Nos.  629,  640. 

^  Montfaucon,  "  L'antiquite  explique,"  vol.  ii,  Pt.  II,  Paris, 
1719,  pp.  324,  325 ;  Plate  136. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  253 

ben  Ezekiel  (220-299  a.d.)  had  a  ring  showing  the 
figure  of  a  man's  head.  The  design  on  a  ring  of  Rabba 
bar  Rabbi  Huna  (ca.  300  a.d.)  depicted  a  palm,  while 
on  a  fifth  century  ring  worn  by  another  Rabbi  Judah 
Hanasi  was  engraved  the  figure  of  a  fish.^ 

The  following  principal  symbolic  or  typical  designs 
have  been  observed  upon  early  Christian  rings : 

The  lyre,  rare. 

A  ship,  denoting  the  life-voyage  of  the  Christian  to  the 
port  of  salvation. 

An  anchor,  emblem  of  constancy  and  of  hope. 

A  dove,  symbolical  of  innocence  and  typical  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Greek  characters,  first  and  last  of  the 
alphabet.  Symbol  of  Christ,  as  in  Rev.  i,  8 :  "I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord." 

The  Monogram  of  Christ  formed  of  the  first  two  Greek 
letters  of  the  name  Christos,  the  so-called  Chrisma  combining 
theX  (Ch)  and  the  P  (r). 

The  Good  Shepherd,  with  the  lost  sheep  on  his  shoulder. 

Scenes  from  the  life  of  Christ. 

Episodes  of  the  story  of  Jonah,  as  Jesus  cited  this  story 
when  speaking  of  the  Resurrection. 

Daniel  in  the  Lion's  Den,  a  triumph  of  faith  which  must  have 
appealed  strongly  to  the  Christians  in  time  of  persecution,  when 
those  of  the  faith  were  often  given  as  prey  to  wild  beasts. 

^  Communicated  by  Prof.  Cyrus  Adler  of  the  Dropsie  College 
for  Hebrew  and  Cognate  Learning,  in  Philadelphia,  the  informa- 
tion being  derived  from  the  Hebrew  Encyclopaedia  entitled 
"  Ozar  Yisrael,"  vol.  v,  p.  6,  col.  i,  s.  v.  Tabaath.  Prof.  Richard 
Gottheil  of  Columbia  University  confirms  the  views  expressed  by 
Prof.  Cyrus  Adler  that  the  ring  was  never  the  distinguishing 
mark  of  a  Rabbi. 

Abbe  Barraud,  "  Des  bagues  a  toutes  les  epoques,"  Bul- 
letin Monumental,  vol.  xxx,  pp.  624-641. 


254 


RINGS 


Elijah  borne  to  heaven,  probably  typical  of  the  resurrection. 

Orpheus  playing  on  the  lyre.  This  pagan  design  was  given 
a  Christian  meaning,  mainly  because  of  certain  spurious  Orphic 
poems  foreshadowing  the  birth  of  Christ. 

Fall  of  Adam  and  Eve.  Here  the  meaning  is  quite  obvious : 
"As  in  Adam  all  died  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive,"  as  the 
apostle  Paul  wrote. 

The  Ark  of  Noah ;  God's  promise  to  save  mankind. 

A  lion,  evidently  signifying  the  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah, 
applied  to  Christ. 

A  lamb,  typical  of  Christ  and  of  Christians.  In  the  Gospel 
of  John,  ii,  36,  John  the  Baptist  exclaimed  on  seeing  Jesus: 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God." 

A  hare.  This  may  denote  the  dangers  which  so  often  menaced 
the  early  Christians,  who  had  to  be  constantly  apprehensive, 
as  a  hare  is  of  the  hunters. 

A  phoenix ;  naturally  figuring  the  Resurrection. 

A  peacock.  This  has  a  similar  meaning,  for  the  peacock, 
Juno's  bird,  had  been  used  by  the  Romans  as  an  emblem  of 
the  apotheosis  of  an  empress. 

A  cock,  as  awakener  of  grace,  and  typical  of  the  awakening 
of  mankind  to  the  true  faith. 

A  serpent.  This  may  seem  strange  as  a  Christian  symbol, 
but  it  denotes  foresight,  and  recalls  the  Gospel  monition,  "  Be 
ye  wise  as  serpents  and  harmless  as  doves."  A  Christian  gem 
evidences  this  interpretation,  for  on  either  side  of  the  serpent  is 
figured  a  dove. 

The  vine ;  suggested  by  the  words  of  Christ :  "  I  am  the  vine 
and  ye  are  the  branches." 

A  blade  of  wheat.    The  harvest  of  souls.? 

The  symbolic  design  of  a  ship  traversing  the  sea  was 
used  in  early  Christian  funeral  sculptures,  and  also  in 
pagan  Rome,  to  denote  the  course  of  life.  For  the 
Christians  the  tempest-tossed  vessel  of  life  found  its 
port  and  resting  place  in  death.  This  idea  is  rudely 
figured  in  a  design  on  a  sepulchral  stone,  in  memory  of 


THE  EELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  255 


a  certain  Firmia  Victoria,  from  one  of  the  early- 
Christian  cemeteries  of  Rome.  On  it  appears  a  ship 
riding  the  waves,  and  in  the  background  a  four-storied 
tower  from  which  rises  a  flame,  the  lighthouse  marking 
the  final  port  toward  which  the  vessel  bends  its  course.^ 

Of  the  few  designs  engraved  upon  Grseco-Roman 
rings  which  were  permitted  to  the  early  Christians,  the 
dove,  as  has  been  noted,  symbolized  the  Holy  Spirit;  a 
fish  became  a  Christian  symbol  because  the  Greek  word 
for  fish  (ichthus)  gave  the  initial  letters  of  lesus 
Christos,  Theou  huios,  Soter  (Jesus  Christ,  The  Son  of 
God,  the  Saviour).  An  anchor,  or  the  representation 
of  a  fisherman,  recalls  to  mind  the  Fisherman's  Ring  of 
the  Roman  pontiff. 

The  fish  symbol  appears  on  an  engraved  Gnostic 
gem  bearing  the  head  of  Christ  surrounded  with  the 
Greek  letters  of  his  name.  This  offers  one  of  the  types 
current  in  the  third  and  fourth  Christian  centuries.  We 
have  the  testimony  of  St.  Augustine  that  the  diversity 
of  types  in  his  time  was  very  great,  and  that  no  record 
remained  of  what  Christ's  physical  appearance  really 
was.^  The  oldest  portrait  is  believed  to  be  that  on  the 
ceiling  of  a  chapel  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Calixtus  at 
Rome,  and  the  type  presented  here  is  that  which  has 
persisted  essentially  to  the  present  day. 

The  ring  of  the  Christian  martyr  Saturus  was  a 
precious  memorial  of  his  death  for  the  faith.  When 
he  had  already  received  his  death-blow,  he  took  off  his 
ring  and  moistening  it  with  the  blood  that  was  flowing 

^  Raoul  Rochette,  "  Tableau  des  Catacombes  de  Rome," 
Paris,  1837,  pp.  235,  236. 

^  S.  Augustini,  "  De  trinitate,"  lib.  viii,  cap.  5,  6.  Figured 
in  Raoul  Rochette,  "  Tableau  des  Catacombes  de  Rome,"  Paris, 
1837,  title  page. 


256 


RINGS 


from  his  wound,  handed  it  to  the  Roman  soldier, 
Pudeus,  who  was  present  at  his  death,  but  was  a  secret 
convert  to  the  Christian  faith,  charging  the  soldier  to 
guard  it  as  a  heritage  and  a  reminder  that  true  faith 
was  rather  confirmed  than  weakened  by  the  martyr's 
death/' 

A  tender  and  beautiful  allusion  to  a  religious  ring 
is  contained  in  the  account  of  the  life  and  death  of  St. 
Marcina  the  Younger  (ca.  330-379  a.d.),  by  her 
brother  St.  Gregory  Nyassa.  When,  after  the  death  of 
this  pious  daughter  of  Basil  the  Great,  her  body  was 
being  prepared  for  burial,  there  was  found,  suspended 
by  a  cord  from  her  neck  and  resting  just  over  her  heart, 
an  iron  ring.  On  its  chaton  was  engraved  a  cross,  and 
in  a  hollow  space  beneath  was  secreted  a  small  fragment 
of  the  True  Cross.  This  ring  the  brother  removed,  de- 
claring that  it  should  be  his  precious  heritage,  the  more 
sacred  that  it  recalled  the  cross  of  Christ,  not  only  by 
its  engraved  design,  but  still  more  by  the  priceless 
memento  placed  beneath  this.^^ 

An  antique  ivory  ring  found  at  Aries  in  France 
bears  inscriptions  denoting  that  it  had  been  designed 
for  use  as  a  Gnostic  amulet,  and  illustrating  the  peculiar 
eclecticism  of  Gnostic  belief.  The  monogram  of  Christ 
appears  here  between  the  two  Greek  letters  A  and  II, 
symbolizing  the  beginning  and  the  end  ;  added  to  this 
is  the  name  ABPA2AH(Abrasax,  Abraxas),  the  favorite 
designation  of  the  Creative  Energy  among  the 
Gnostics.^  ^ 

Ruinart,  "Acta  sanctorum  martyrum  sincera  et  selecta," 
Paris,  1689,  p.  40. 

•^^  Gregorii  episcopi  nysseni,  "  Opera,"  vol.  iii,  in  Migne's 
Patrologia  Graeca,  vol.  xli,  Parisiis,  1858,  col.  990. 

1^  See  Rev.  I,  viii. 

13  C.  W.  King,  "Antique  Gems,"  London,  1860,  p.  358. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  257 


A  Christian  talismanic  ring  in  the  British  Museum 
is  set  with  a  red  jasper  upon  which  is  engraved,  in 
Greek  characters :  ihcoyc  oeoy  yioc  thpe^  "  Jesus 
son  of  God,  preserve  (me)."^*  To  jasper  at  all 
times  has  been  accorded  a  high  rank  among  talismanic 
stones,  more  especially  to  the  green  and  red  varieties, 
the  latter  being  particularly  favored  where  protection 
was  sought  against  death  from  wounds  or  hemorrhage. 

Oriental  Christian  rings  include  many  unusual  types. 
The  British  Museum  has  one  of  gold,  with  engraved 
and  nielloed  ornament ;  on  the  fiat  octagonal  hoop  is  de- 
picted the  Annunciation,  in  the  rigid,  hieratic  style  of 
Byzantine  art.  The  Virgin  is  seated  on  a  high-backed 
chair;  before  her  stands  the  archangel  Gabriel.  The 
hoop  bears  as  inscription  the  first  words  of  the  angel's 
greeting,  in  Greek  characters  Xatpe  K^iapiTioixhr]  6  Kbpio^ 
fierdt  gZo  (Luke  i,  28:  "  Hail  thou  that  art  highly  fa- 
voured, the  Lord  is  with  thee.").  This  ring  is  believed 
to  belong  to  the  seventh  century  a.d.^  and  is  a  very 
characteristic  example  of  the  type.^^ 

Three  Merovingian  rings  found  in  August,  1885,  on 
the  skeleton  finger  of  a  woman,  at  Aigusy,  dept.  Aisne, 
offer  proof  that  in  this  period  many  rings  were  some- 
times worn  on  a  single  finger.  The  upper  and  lower 
are  plain  silver  rings,  but  the  central  one,  of  bronze, 
has  a  circular  bezel  on  which  is  engraved  a  cross,  with, 
at  its  angles,  the  nails  of  the  Passion.  Another  ring, 
from  the  same  locality,  with  a  cross  of  simpler  form 
engraved  on  the  chaton  was  found  attached  to  a  chain. 
Both  ring  and  chain  are  of  bronze,  the  ring,  presumably 

14  King,    The  Gnostics,"  London,  1864,  p.  139. 

1^  O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediasval  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  7,  No.  39. 

17 


258 


KINGS 


a  signet,  having  been  worn  suspended  by  the  owner, 
instead  of  on  the  hand.  A  silver  ring  from  the  same 
French  department,  bears  the  Latin  inscription 
V I V  A  s  ^  and  in  six  compartments  the  following 
symbolic  figures :  a  dove  holding  a  branch ;  a  lamb,  above 
which  is  a  star;  an  upright  palm;  a  stag;  a  fantastic 
animal  figure,  and  a  hare.  These  symbols,  most  of 
which  are  characteristically  Christian,  and  the  Latin 
invocation  "  mayst  thou  live,"  vivas,  usually  followed 
by  the  words  "  in  Deo  "  (in  God),  point  clearly  to  the 
religious  faith  of  the  owner  of  the  ring.  It  is  true  that 
the  presence  of  a  gold  solidus  of  Valentinian  II  (375- 
392)  in  the  mouth  of  the  deceased  person,  as  "  Charon's 
toll,"  might  be  thought  to  indicate  that  we  had  here  to 
do  with  a  pagan,  were  it  not  well  known  that  this  custom 
was  maintained  to  some  extent  after  the  decisive  triumph 
of  Christianity.^^ 

According  to  Mercato  a  toadstone  set  in  a  silver  ring 
was  preserved  in  the  Monastery  of  Saint  Anne  in 
Home.  The  popular  belief  was  that  this  ring  had  be- 
longed to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  it  was  considered  to 
be  a  cure  for  fistulas,  if  the  stone  were  rubbed  around 
them  twelve  times.^^ 

The  ring  known  as  the  betrothal  ring  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  now  in  the  cathedral  of  Perugia,  has  had  a  long 
and  eventful  history.  The  following  details  are  taken 
from  a  monograph  written  by  Abbot  Adamo  Rossi. 
According  to  the  legend,  this  ring  was  given  by  Mary 
to  St.  John,  the  "  beloved  disciple,"  and  was  taken  by 
him  to  Rome  in  95  a.d.  Here  it  seems  to  have  come 
into  the  possession  of  the  Romans,  and  about  275  a.d. 

■^^  M.  Deloche,  "  Etude  historique  et  archeologique  sur  les 
anneaux  sigillaires,"  Paris,  1900,  pp.  139-142,  figs. 

17  Mercati,  "  Metailotheca  Vaticana,"  Rom«,  1719,  p.  185. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  259 


it  was  in  the  hands  of  Mostiola,  a  cousin  of  Marcus 
Aurelius  Claudius,  and  a  convert  to  Christianity.  In 
the  reign  of  Aurelian  began  what  was  known  as  the 
eighth  persecution  of  the  Christians,  and  Mostiola  was 
obliged  to  flee  from  Rome.  She  sought  refuge  in 
Clusium,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Etruscans,  the 
Chuisi  of  a  later  time,  but  she  was  seized  by  the  Roman 
authorities  and  died  a  martyr's  death.  In  the  eighth 
century  a  church  was  erected  at  the  spot  where  she  was 
buried  and  the  ring  was  guarded  therein  as  a  precious 
relic. 

About  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  this  ring 
was  transferred,  for  greater  security,  from  the  Church 
of  St.  Mostiola,  which  lay  outside  the  city,  to  the 
cathedral,  where  it  was  seen,  April  17,  1355,  by  Em- 
peror Charles  IV,  on  his  return  from  his  coronation. 
In  1420,  by  order  of  the  bishop,  the  ring  was  taken  to 
the  Church  of  St.  Francesco.  There  was  a  belief  that 
a  mysterious  virtue  emanated  from  it  which  acted 
miraculously  upon  the  sight  of  those  who  gazed  upon  it. 
Learning  of  this,  Filippo  Maria,  Duke  of  Milan,  who 
suffered  from  a  disease  of  the  eye,  requested,  in  1445, 
that  the  ring  might  be  brought  to  him.  Although  Pope 
Eugene  IV  supported  his  request,  the  historian  inclines 
to  the  belief  that  nothing  came  of  the  matter,  for  the 
Duke  became  completely  blind  a  year  later. 

Among  the  Franciscan  friars  who  had  the  care  of 
the  ring  was  a  certain  "  Fra  Vinterio  "  (Winter) ,  called 
"  the  German,"  from  the  land  of  his  birth.  Possibly 
because  he  was  a  foreigner,  he  became  an  object  of  dis- 
like, and  upon  the  occurrence  of  a  robbery  of  some 
articles  of  value,  his  fellow  monks  eagerly  seized  upon 
the  occasion  to  fix  the  guilt  upon  the  unfortunate 
Winter.   He  was  cast  into  prison  and  subjected  to  the 


260 


RINGS 


most  cruel  tortures,  but  as  no  avowal  could  be  wrung 
from  him,  he  was  finally  released  and  resimied  his  life 
in  the  community.  However,  although  outwardly  calm, 
the  cruelties  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  burned  into 
his  soul,  and  aroused  thoughts  of  vengeance.  He  could 
think  of  but  one  way  to  punish  his  tormentors  effectively, 
and  that  was  by  taking  away  the  precious  ring.  If  this 
were  lost,  the  Chiusans  would  place  the  blame  upon  its 
careless  guardians  and  would  perhaps  drive  them  from 
the  city.  Winter  succeeded  in  taking  wax  impressions 
of  the  keys  of  the  chamber  where  the  ring  was  kept  and 
of  the  case  wherein  it  lay.  He  had  duplicate  keys  made 
from  these  impressions,  and,  on  the  night  of  July  23, 
1473,  he  secured  possession  of  the  ring.  Of  course  he 
was  no  longer  safe  in  Chiusi  and  he  made  all  haste  to 
Perugia,  where  he  determined  to  rid  himself  of  his  treas- 
ure and  curry  favor  with  the  Perugians  by  conferring  it 
upon  them.  His  offer  was  accepted  without  hesitation, 
and  when  the  Chiusans  energetically  demanded  the  re- 
turn of  the  ring,  the  Perugians  refused  compliance. 

The  matter  was  brought  before  the  Roman  court 
and  was  the  subject  of  prolonged  controversy.  For  a 
time  it  seemed  as  though  resort  would  be  had  to  arms, 
but  finally,  in  1486,  a  decision  was  reached  to  the  effect 
that  the  ring  should  remain  in  Perugia.  Here  it  has 
been  preserved  ever  since,  and  many  wonderful  stories 
are  told  of  its  miraculous  virtue.  In  seasons  of  pro- 
longed drought  and  also  when  the  land  was  deluged  by 
superabundant  rains,  the  betrothal  ring  of  the  Virgin 
was  solemnly  borne  from  the  chapel  of  St.  Joseph,  where 
it  was  kept,  to  the  high  altar,  and  the  result  was  always 
fortunate. 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  credibility  of  the 
legend,  there  can  be  no  question  that  this  ring  is  one  of 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


261 


the  most  highly  prized  relics.  It  is  of  chalcedony,  and 
its  form  seems  to  indicate  that  it  was  at  one  time  set 
with  a  precious  stone.  On  only  four  days  in  the  year, 
March  19,  the  second  Sunday  in  July,  July  80,  and 
August  2,  can  this  unique  ring  be  seen  by  the  public. 

The  betrothal  ring  of  the  Virgin  is  in  the  Capella 
del  Santo  Anello,  in  the  left  aisle  of  the  Cathedral,  where 
the  celebrated  painting  by  Perugino,  the  Spozalizio,  now 
at  Caen  in  Normandy,  was  preserved  until  1797,  when  it 
was  taken  off  by  the  French  invaders.  The  ornate 
tabernaculum  was  executed  by  the  goldsmith  Cesarino 
del  Roscetto  in  1519. 

The  espousal  ring  of  St.  Anne,  mother  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  was  preserved  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Sylvester, 
at  Rome.  It  is  of  unwrought  silver,  with  a  clear  crystal 
set  in  the  middle,  surrounded  by  black  spots  and  opaque 
at  the  back,  so  that  it  reflects  images,  just  as  does  a 
mirror.  On  the  festival  of  the  betrothal  of  St.  Anne, 
the  eyes  of  those  whose  sight  was  weak  were  touched 
with  the  ring.^^  The  curative  results  of  this  application 
were  doubtless  all  that  could  be  desired,  more  especially 
as  weak  sight  is  often  caused  by  nervous  depression,  or 
nervous  derangements. 

The  body  of  St.  Caius,  martyred  in  296  a.d.,  was 
exhumed  from  the  Cemetery  of  Calixtus,  in  Rome,  on 
the  anniversary  of  the  sainted  pope's  birth,  April  21, 
1622,  in  the  reign  of  Pope  Gregory  XV.  Within  the 
sepulchre  were  found  three  coins  of  Diocletian,  in  whose 
reign  St.  Caius  (283-296  a.d.)  received  the  papal  crown, 
and  also  the  pope's  ring,  probably  his  signet,  although 
no  exact  description  of  it  has  reached  us.^*^  In  the  suc- 

Giacinto  Gimma,  "  Delia  storia  naturale  delle  gemme," 
Napoli,  1730,  vol.  i,  p.  39. 

Pauli  Aringhi,  "  Roma  subterranea,"  Romae,  1651,  p.  701. 


262 


RINGS 


ceeding  century  there  is  notice  of  another  ecclesiastical 
signet-ring,  for  in  a  letter  of  St.  Augustine  (354-430) 
to  Victorinus,  the  Church  Father  concludes  with  the 
words :  "  I  have  sent  this  epistle  sealed  with  a  ring  which 
shows  the  profile-head  of  a  man."  As  in  the  case  of  all 
the  very  early  bishops'  rings,  this  one  of  St.  Augustine 
was  merely  his  personal  signet  and  had  no  direct  connec- 
tion with  his  sacred  office. 

A  massive  ring  of  Pope  Pius  II  (Aeneas  Syl- 
vius Piccolomini,  1457-1464)  has  on  the  sides  of  the 
hoop  the  coats-of-arms  of  the  Piccolomini  and  Tiara 
families;  below  the  bezel  are  figures  symbolical  of  the 
Four  Evangelists.  This  interesting  papal  ring  is  in  the 
collection  of  Dr.  Albert  Figdor,  Vienna.^^ 

The  "  Fisherman's  Ring,"  or  Annulus  Piscatoris,  is 
the  gold  seal  ring  of  the  pope,  a  new  one  being  made 
for  each  successive  pontiff.  As  testified  to  by  early 
records,  the  custom  of  breaking  the  ring  on  the  death 
of  a  pope  has  long  obtained.  After  the  attending 
physicians  have  pronounced  him  to  be  dead,  the  Cardinal 
Camerlengo,  or  Papal  Chamberlain,  approaches  the 
body,  and  taps  it  thrice  with  a  golden  hammer,  each 
time  calling  on  the  pope  by  name.  The  ring  is  then 
handed  by  him  to  the  papal  master  of  ceremonies,  who 
breaks  it;  he  is  permitted,  or  perhaps  required,  to  keep 
the  fragments.  The  design  on  the  seal  depicts  St. 
Peter  seated  in  a  bark  and  holding  a  net  in  each  hand, 
the  name  of  the  reigning  pope  being  inscribed  above. 
The  ring  takes  its  name  from  the  words  of  Christ  to 
Peter,  after  the  latter  made  the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes  (Luke,  v,  10)  :  "  From  henceforth  thou  shalt 

2^  Santi  Aurelii  Augustini,  "  Opera  Omnia,"  ed.  Migne, 
Parisiis,  1884,  cols.  226,  227. 

^■^  Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 


FIVE  VIEWS  OF  THE  RING  OF  POPE  PIUS  II  (iENEAS  SYLVIUS  PICCOLOMINI, 

1457-1464)  K: 

On  the  sides  of  the  hoop  are  the  coats-of-arms  of  the  Piccolomini  and  Tiara  f aUlflies,  and  below 
the  bezel  are  figures  symbolical  of  the  Four  Evangelists 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


"Ring  of  the  fisherman" 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Hand  of  "  Judith  "  from  picture  by  Lucas  Cranach :  Rings 
beneath  glove-fingers  slit  to  give  them  room 


ipression  of  the  Annulus  Piscatoris  (Ring  of  the  Fisherman j 
of  Pope  Clement  VIII  (159^-1605) 
Archseologia,  vol.  xl,  p.  140 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  m 


catch  men."  In  Mark  i,  17,  a  similiar  announcement  is 
made  to  both  Simon  (Peter)  . and  his  brother  Andrew: 
"  Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become 
fishers  of  men." 

The  ring  is  broken  to  prevent  the  sealing  of  any 
pontifical  document  during  the  vacancy  of  the  papal  see. 
When  the  army  of  the  French  Republic  occupied  Rome 
in  1798,  the  Republican  emissary  Haller,  after  inform- 
ing Pius  iVI  that  he  would  be  taken  from  Rome,  de- 
manded all  his  papal  rings.  After  surrendering  the 
others,  the  pope  pleaded  that  he  might  be  allowed  to 
keep  the  Fisherman's  Ring,  but  as  the  Frenchman 
sternly  insisted  that  this  also  must  be  given  up,  the  pope 
reluctantly  yielded.  However,  when  on  examination, 
the  ring  was  found  to  be  of  small  value,  it  was  restored 
to  the  pontiff. 

The  earliest  existing  mention  of  the  Fisherman's 
Ring  seems  to  be  in  a  letter  addressed  by  Pope 
Clement  IV,  in  1265,  to  his  nephew  Pietro  Grossi  of 
St.  Gilles,  in  which  he  states  that  in  addressing  mem- 
bers of  his  family  he  used  the  Sigillum  Piscatoris,  the 
private  seal  of  the  popes.^^  It  was  not  until  the  fifteenth 
century  that  this  originally  private  seal  came  to  be  gen- 
erally used  for  the  papal  Briefs.  An  impression  of  the 
Fisherman's  Ring  of  Clement  VIII  made  in  1598,  in  the 
sixth  year  of  the  pope's  reign,  is  surrounded  with  a  bit 
of  twisted  vellum.  A  comparison  of  this  seal  with  the 
one  used  by  Pius  IX,  shows  the  modifications  of  the 
established  design  due  to  the  preferences  of  the  en- 
gravers of  successive  rings.  The  ring  of  Pius  IX  was 
of  plain  gold,  weighing  about  an  ounce  and  a  half,  the 
design  was  engraved  on  an  oval  plate.    It  is  said  to 


Platina  "  De  vitis  Pontificorum  " ;  "  Vita  Clementis  IV." 


264 


RINGS 


have  been  made  out  of  the  gold  constituting  the  Fisher- 
man's Ring  of  his  predecessor,  Gregory  XVI.^^ 

It  is  thought  probable  that  the  custom  of  breaking 
the  Fisherman's  Ring  on  the  demise  of  a  pope  was  first 
instituted  at  the  death  of  Leo  X  in  1521.  The  papal 
engravers  are  believed  to  have  kept  a  new  ring  ready- 
in  case  of  sudden  need,  leaving  a  blank  space  for  the 
new  pope's  name.  When  his  election  has  been  con- 
firmed, the  Cardinal  Camerlengo  places  the  ring  on  his 
hand,  asking  him  at  the  same  time  by  what  name  he 
elects  to  be  called.  The  ring  is  then  removed  and  given 
to  the  engraver  for  the  addition  of  this  name.  In  later 
times  it  has  been  kept  permanently  in  the  guardianship 
of  the  Cardinal  Chamberlain,  and  has  not  been  generally 
used  for  stamping  documents,  an  iron  die  of  like  design 
being  employed  for  this  purpose. 

In  at  least  one  instance  this  ring  was  not  destroyed 
at  a  pope's  death.  When  Pius  VI  expired  at  Valence, 
Aug.  29,  1799,  his  Fisherman's  Ring  was  left  unbroken 
and,  with  a  new  inscription,  served  for  his  successor, 
Pius  VII.  When  this  latter  pope  fell  into  disgrace 
with  Napoleon  in  1809,  because  he  refused  to  nullify 
the  marriage  of  Jerome,  Napoleon's  brother,  to  Miss 
Patterson,  he  was  carried  off  from  Rome  to  France,  and 
obliged  to  surrender  his  Annulus  Piscatoris  to  General 
Radet.  Before  relinquishing  it,  however,  he  took  the 
precaution  of  having  it  cut  down  the  middle.  Later 
when  he  was  restored  to  the  Roman  See,  a  substitute 
ring  was  made,  as  the  original,  given  back  by  Louis 

Edmund  Waterton,  "  On  the  Annulus  Piscatoris,  or  Ring 
of  the  Fisherman";  Archaeologia,  vol.  xl,  figures  on  pp.  140 
and  142. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  265 


XVIII  after  Napoleon's  downfall,  could  no  longer  be 
used  because  of  its  mutilation.^* 

Besides  the  Fisherman's  Ring,  the  popes  now  have 
two  others,  the  papal  ring  which  they  habitually  wear, 
and  the  pontifical  ring,  which  is  only  assumed  for  the 
pontifical  ceremonies.  The  pontifical  ring  of  Pius  IX 
was  worth  more  than  $6,000.  It  is  of  gold,  of  remark- 
ably fine  workmanship,  and  is  set  with  a  magnificent 
oblong  brilliant.  This  ring  could  be  made  smaller  or 
larger  at  will,  so  that  it  might  serve  for  future  popes.^^ 

By  a  special  privilege  the  ring  ordinarily  worn  by  a 
pope  may  bear  a  cameo,  that  usually  worn  by  Pius  IX 
showed  an  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  The  Fisherman's 
King  is  but  rarely  worn.  When  after  a  pope's  death, 
the  ring  has  been  broken,  as  we  have  noted,  a  cheap 
facsimile,  or  the  broken  ring,  is  sometimes  buried  with 
the  pope.^^ 

Of  the  three  main  classes  of  ecclesiastical  rings,  the 
pontifical  ring  with  its  single  precious  stone,  worn  over 
a  glove  and  exclusively  at  pontifical  ceremonies,  is  so 
large  that  its  stone  setting  covers  the  first  phalanx  of 
the  fourth  finger  of  the  right  hand,  on  which  it  is  worn. 
The  "  gemmed  ring,"  a  mark  of  distinction,  may  have 
but  one  stone,  or  a  central  stone  surrounded  by 
brilliants,  just  as  the  regulations  provide.   A  third  class 

Edmund  Waterton,  "  On  the  Annulus  Piscatoris,  or 
Fisherman's  Ring,"  Archseologia,  vol.  xl,  pp.  138-142,  London, 
1866. 

Abbe  Barraud,  "  Des  Bagues  a  toutes  les  epoques  et  en 
particulier  de  I'anneau  des  eveques  et  des  abbes,"  Bulletin  Monu- 
mentale,  vol.  xxx,  pp.  390,  391,  1864. 

X.  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Le  costume  et  les  usages 
ecclesiastiques  selon  la  tradition  romaine,"  Paris,  n.d.,  vol.  i, 
p.  161. 


266 


RINGS 


of  ecclesiastical  rings  are  those  of  plain  gold,  commonly 
with  a  smooth  chaton;  sometimes,  however,  this  may 
be  engraved  with  armorial  bearings,  so  that  the  ring 
can  be  used  as  a  signet.  In  Rome  those  who  have 
received  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  have  the  word 
ROMA  engraved  upon  the  chaton  of  the  ring.^^ 

One  of  the  earliest  notices  of  a  bishop's  ring,  not 
however  in  the  strictly  ecclesiastical  sense,  but  of  one 
worn  by  a  bishop,  is  given  in  a  letter  written  by  St.  Avit, 
Archbishop  of  Vienne  (494-525),  to  his  colleague, 
Apollinaris,  Bishop  of  Valencia  (ca.  520)  :  "  The  ring 
you  have  been  kind  enough  to  offer  me  should  be  made 
as  follows:  In  the  middle  of  a  very  thin  iron  hoop, 
representing  two  dolphins  facing  each  other,  a  double 
seal  should  be  set  by  means  of  two  pivots,  so  that  either 
side  may  be  shown  or  hidden  at  will  and  in  turn,  and 
offer,  alternately,  to  the  eyes  a  green  stone  or  a  pale 
electrum.  Let  not  this  metal  be  as  I  have  sometimes 
seen  it,  easily  tarnished  in  the  cleanest  hands,  and  similar 
to  the  impure  mixture  of  gold  that  has  not  been  exposed 
to  the  fire;  let  it  not  resemble  the  alloy  which  formerly 
the  king  of  the  Goths  introduced  into  his  coinage,  an 
emblem  of  his  downfall.  Let  my  electrum  be  of  a 
medium  color,  having  at  once  the  tawny  hue  of  gold 
and  the  whiteness  of  silver,  precious  by  their  union  and 
enhancing  the  brilliant  green  of  the  emerald  when  it 
appears.  Let  my  monogram  be  engraved  on  the  seal 
surrounded  by  my  name,  so  that  it  may  be  read.  Op- 
posite the  setting,  the  middle  of  the  ring  shall  be  formed 
by  the  tails  of  the  dolphins;  to  set  between  these  an 
oblong  stone  shall  be  sought,  pointed  at  the  extrem- 
ities."    It  will  be  noted  that  this  was  not  a  gold  ring, 

27  Ibid.,  pp.  158,  159. 

^  Sancti  Aviti,  Epist.  Ixxviii,  Migne,  "  Patrologia  Latina," 
vol.  lix,  col.  280. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  267 


but  an  iron  one,  and  thus  essentially  different  from  the 
recognized  episcopal  rings. 

The  oldest  formula  used  at  the  conferring  of  the 
pontifical  ring  upon  a  bishop,  is  found  in  the  Sacra- 
mental of  St.  Gregory,  590  a.d.  and,  translated  into 
English,  runs  as  follows:  "Receive  this  ring  of  dis- 
tinction and  honor,  a  symbol  of  faith,  that  thou  mayst 
seal  what  is  to  be  sealed,  and  reveal  what  is  to  be  re- 
vealed, and  that  to  believers  baptized  into  the  faith,  who 
have  fallen  but  are  penitent,  thou  mayst  by  the  mystery 
of  reconciliation  open  the  gates  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven."  A  much  shorter  formula  is  that  in  the  Pon- 
tifical of  Ecgberht,  Archbishop  of  York ;  it  reads :  "  Re- 
ceive the  ring  of  the  pontifical  honor  that  thou  mayst  be 
endowed  with  sound  faith."  At  present  the  following 
simple  formula  is  used:  "  Receive  the  ring  of  faith  as 
a  sign  that  thou  wilt  guard  the  Bride  of  God,  Holy 
Church,  with  undaunted  faith." 

A  very  early  mention  of  the  true  episcopal  rings  is 
to  be  found  in  the  writings  of  Isidore,  Archbishop  of 
Seville  from  601  to  636  a.d.^^  He  definitely  states  that 
the  ring  was  one  of  the  canonical  insignia  of  the  epis- 
copate and  terms  it  "  a  sign  of  pontifical  honor,  or  a  seal 
of  secrets,"  adding  that  priests  must  keep  many  secrets 
confided  to  them  hidden  in  their  breasts  as  though  be- 
neath a  seal.^^  At  about  the  same  time  a  decree  of  Pope 
Boniface  IV,  promulgated  in  the  third  council  of  Rome, 
in  610,  mentions  a  pontifical  ring,  and  in  the  fourth 
council  of  Toledo,  in  December,  633,  a  canon  treating 
of  the  restitution  to  his  ofBce  of  an  unjustly  deposed 

^^Isidori,  "  De  ecclesiasticis  officiis,"  lib.  ii,  cap.  v,  12. 
3^  Migne,  "Patrologia  Latina,"  vol.  Ixxxiii,  cols.  783,  784. 


268 


RINGS 


bishop,  directs  that  he  be  given  anew  his  stole,  his  ring, 
and  his  pastoral  staff.^^ 

The  liturgical  kissing  of  a  bishop's  hand  usually 
means  a  kiss  impressed  upon  the  ring  he  is  wearing  at 
the  ceremony.  That  in  the  works  of  Rabanus  Maurus, 
Archbishop  of  Mainz  (786-856),  and  in  those  of  others 
of  his  time,  no  mention  is  made  of  episcopal  rings  of 
investiture,  cannot  be  taken  to  prove  that  none  were 
worn  in  this  period,  but  only  that  they  were  not  yet  in 
general  use.^^  The  distinct  evidence  contained  in  the 
canon  of  the  Council  of  Toledo,  over  which  Isidore  of 
Seville  presided  in  633,  and  the  still  earlier  formula  of 
investiture  in  the  Sacramental  of  Gregory,  590  a.d., 
must  be  accepted  as  conclusive  evidence  that  such  rings 
were  conferred. 

Until  after  the  eleventh  century,  almost  all  the  Epis- 
copal rings  were  used  as  signets  and  the  Sacramental 
of  St.  Gregory  alludes  to  this  use.  The  ring  was  gen- 
erally worn  on  the  index  finger  of  the  right  hand,  the 
middle  of  the  three  fingers  uplifted  in  conferring  a 
blessing;  but,  when  celebrating  mass,  the  bishop  trans- 
ferred it  from  the  index  finger  to  the  annular.  At  the 
present  day  it  is  always  worn  on  this  latter  finger. 
The  removal  of  the  ring  from  the  index  is  explained  by 
Garanti,^^  as  being  an  act  of  humility,  since  the  ring  was 
regarded  as  a  kind  of  crown  upon  the  index,  "  for 
sages  say  that  the  ring  is  the  crown  of  the  hand,"  and 
this  crown  should  be  removed  in  the  presence  of  Christ. 
In  our  day  bishops  wear  but  one  ring,  but  in  old  pic- 

Philippe  Labbe  and  Cossart,  "  Sacros.  concil.,"  vol.  v, 
cols.  1618,  1714. 

^2  Wetzer  and  Welte's  "  Kirchenlexikon,"  ^d  ed.,  Freiburg 
im  Breisgau,  1897,  vol.  x,  p.  211,  art.  Ringe  by  K.  Schrod. 

33  Ed.  Merati,  p.  1737. 


PORTRAIT  OF  POPE  CLEMENT  IX  (1667-1670)  BY  CARLO  MARATTA 
Ring  with  square-cut,  beveled  stone  on  fourth  finger  of  right  hand 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York.    Gift  of  Archer  M.  Huntington,  Esq, 


PORTRAIT  OF  POPE  JULIUS  II  (1503-1513)  BY  RAFAEL 
Six  rings,  three  on  each  hand;  on  index,  fourth  and  little  fingers 
Uffizi  Palace,  Florence 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  269 


tures  and  effigies  they  are  shown  wearing  several,  and 
sometimes  even  a  thumb  ring.  The  celebrated  por- 
trait of  Leo  X,  by  Raphael,  represents  the  pope  wear- 
ing no  less  than  six  rings,  and  the  hands  of  Julius 
II  in  Raphael's  portrait  are  adorned  with  rings  of  equal 
number. 

While  the  sapphire  eventually  became  the  stone 
especially  assigned  for  use  in  episcopal  rings,  the  older 
specimens  which  have  been  preserved  for  us  show  that, 
in  early  times,  many  other  precious  stones  were  em- 
ployed for  this  purpose.  Indeed,  the  emerald,  or  some 
green  stone,  seems  to  have  been  given  the  preference  at 
one  time,  if  we  can  judge  from  the  letter  sent  by  Avitus, 
Archbishop  of  Vienne  to  Apollinaris,  Bishop  of  Valen- 
cia. Besides  rubies  and  emeralds,  balas-rubies,  tur- 
quoises, chalcedonies  and  even  the  opal  were  used,  while 
pearls  and  garnets,  also  appear  occasionally. 

Possibly  the  earliest  known  specimen  of  an  episcopal 
ring  is  in  the  treasury  of  the  cathedral  of  Metz.  It  is 
believed  to  have  belonged  to  Arnulphus,  who  was  con- 
secrated Bishop  of  Metz  in  614.  This  ring,  which  has 
been  sometimes  ascribed  to  the  fourth  century,  is  set  with 
an  opaque  milk-white  carnelian. 

An  episcopal  ring  found  at  Oxford  and  now  in  the 
Waterton  Collection,  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  is  a 
curious  specimen  of  the  adaptation  of  antique  gems  to 
Christian  uses.  The  gold  circlet  is  set  with  an  antique 
plasma  engraved  with  the  bust  of  a  female,  the  pagan 
original  doing  duty  for  some  Christian  saint,  or  perhaps 
for  the  Virgin  Mary.^*  An  intaglio  of  Jupiter- Serapis 
was  provided  by  the  monks  of  Durham  with  an  inscrip- 
tion designating  it  to  be  a  portrait  of  St.  Oswald. 

3*  Edmund  Waterton,  "  On  Episcopal  Rings,"  The  AtcJke- 
ological  Journal,  vol.  xx,  London,  1863,  p. 


270 


RINGS 


Cameos  were  also  used,  on  occasion,  as  we  read  in  the 
enumeration  of  the  precious  stones  and  rings  donated  by 
Henry  III  to  the  shrine  of  St.  Edward  in  Westminster 
Abbey, the  following  entry:  "  j  chamah  in  uno  annulo 
pontificali." 

Occasionally  a  stone  was  taken  from  some  antique 
ornament  and  set  in  an  episcopal  ring.  Of  this  kind  is 
the  pierced  sapphire  in  Mr.  Waterton's  collection,  and 
probably  another  ring  described  in  the  Wardrobe  Books 
of  Edward  I  and  which  belonged  to  Robert,  Bishop  of 
Coventry  and  Lichfield,  who  died  in  1295.  The  old 
description  calls  this  "  a  golden  ring  with  a  perforated 
ruby."  The  same  records  mention  a  gold  ring  with 
a  sapphire,  the  ornament  being,  as  was  supposed,  the 
work  of  St.  Dunstan,  who  is  reputed  to  have  been  a 
skilful  worker  in  metals. 

A  letter  written  in  867  by  Charles  the  Bald  to  Pope 
Nicholas  I,  mentions  a  ring  sent  to  Ebbo,  Bishop  of 
Rheims,  by  Judith,  the  mother  of  Charles  the  Bald. 
This  ring  was  given  by  the  empress  at  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  her  son,  so  that  Ebbo,  who  had  been  made  bishop 
because  of  his  piety  and  sanctity,  should  remember  the 
child  in  his  prayers.  In  later  years,  whenever  the  good 
bishop  was  in  trouble,  he  used  to  send  his  ring  to  the 
empress  with  an  humble  petition  for  aid,  and  the  letter 
of  Emperor  Charles  was  written  as  a  result  of  a  most 
earnest  appeal  of  Bishop  Ebbo,  after  he  had  been  de- 
posed from  his  office  and  subjected  to  persecution.^"^ 

It  is  said  that  only  one  episcopal  ring  from  Anglo- 
Saxon  times  has  been  preserved  in  England.   This  relic 

3^  Rot.  Pat.  Hen.  III.  m.  20  d. 

36  Liber  28,  Ed.  I;  fol.  278,  p.  SM. 

3^  Philippi  Labbei  et  Cossarti,  "  Sacrosancta  concilia,"  vol. 
viii,  col.  878. 


Christian  ring  of  glass.  Design 
shows  snake  and  doves,  a  cross, 
the  Greek  letters  alpha  and  omega 
and  the  Latin  word  Salus.  Bosio. 
"Roma  Sotterranea,"  Roma,  1650 


1,  Venetian  ring.    Bezel  with  engraved  figure  of  St.  Mark  is  hollowed 
to  enclose  relics.    2,  poison  ring  set  with  a  diamond  and  two  rubies. 
The  poison  was  concealed  beneath  the  bezel.    See  pages  36-39 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


Bishop's  ring  of  investiture.    Bezel  set  with  flat 
crystal;  two  views.     Said  to  have  belonged  to 
Robert  of  Anjou.King  of  Naples  (1309-1343  a.d.) 
British  Museum 


Lady's  memorial  ring  of  enameled  gold  inscribed  "R.  C. 
Not  lost  but  gone  before,"  in  gilt  letters  on  a  white  enamel 
ground.   English,  about  1800 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Mourning  ring  of  gold.  The  head  has  the  form  of 
a  coffin  with  skull  and  cross-bones  on  the  lid.  When 
this  is  lifted  a  heart  is  disclosed  within.  The  hoop 
has  two  wires.  On  the  sides  of  the  coffin  is  inscribed: 
" Hirist  die  Ruhe"  (HcTeis  Teat).  German.  Eighteenth 
Century 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Massive  silver  mourning  ring  inscribed  in  Old  French,  dort  couat  (rest  in  peace). 
Found  at  Huy  near  Statte,  Belgium.  French.  Fifteenth  Century 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


271 


forms  part  of  the  Waterton  Collection  in  the  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum;  it  is  of  gold,  nielloed,  and  shows 
the  letters  of  the  name  Ahlstan.  This  name  was  borne 
by  a  Bishop  of  Sherborne  who  held  the  office  from  824 
to  867  A.D.,  his  death  occurring  four  years  before  the 
accession  of  Alfred  the  Great.^^ 

Niello  is  a  mixture  of  silver,  copper,  lead,  crude 
sulphur,  and  borax;  frequently  ^  little  antimony  is 
added.  The  mixture  is  fused  and  pressed  into  the 
design  engraved  upon  a  silver  plate ;  when  it  has  cooled 
off  it  forms  a  deep  black,  brilliant,  and  tough,  though 
not  hard,  substance,  like  an  enamel.  The  antimony  on 
cooling,  spreads  slightly,  thus  obviating  any  danger  of 
undue  contraction  of  the  alloy,  which  might  fail  to  fill 
out  the  design  exactly;  occasionally,  however,  the  anti- 
mony expands  unequally,  producing  some  slight  irregu- 
larities of  outline  or  surface.  Sometimes  the  alloy  is 
applied  to  the  silver  background  of  the  design,  instead 
of  to  the  design  itself,  so  that  the  latter  appears  white 
against  a  rich  dark  foundation.  This  variety  of  enam- 
elling was  already  used  in  Roman  times;  in  our  day  it 
is  most  extensively  employed  in  Russia,  where  very 
beautiful  work  of  the  kind  is  done,  the  lines  being  of 
hair-like  fineness  and  delicacy. 

In  886,  at  the  degradation  of  two  bishops  who  had 
been  consecrated  without  the  consent  of  their  metro- 
politan, their  episcopal  vestments  were  rent,  their 
croziers  broken  on  ^heir  heads,  and  their  episcopal  rings 
rudely  snatched  from  their  fingers.  Here,  as  in  cases 
of  military  degradation,  the  ignominious  removal  of  the 

3S  Edmund  Waterton,  "  Episcopal  Rings,"  in  The  Archce- 
ological  Journal  vol.  xx,  p.  227,  fig.  p.  228. 


272 


RINGS 


insignia  of  rank  served  to  give  public  emphasis  to  the 
sentence  passed  upon  the  condemned.^^ 

The  Cathedral  of  Chichester  has  yielded  a  number 
of  fine  specimens  of  medicEval  episcopal  rings.  Notable 
among  these  as  a  curiosity  is  one  that  belonged  to  Bishop 
Seffrid  who  died  in  1151,  for  it  is  set  with  a  Gnostic 
gem  showing  the  well-known  cock-headed  figure  gen- 
erally cut  to  represent  the  divine  principle  the  Gnostics 
called  Abrasax  (or  Abraxas).  This  is  an  intaglio  on 
jasper,  and  the  ring  was  found  in  the  bishop's  tomb. 
The  fact  that  he  was  willing  to  wear  it  shows  either  that 
he  was  ignorant  of  its  being  a  Gnostic,  and  hence  an 
heretical  design,  or  else  that  he  was  more  than  usually 
tolerant.  Another  of  the  Chichester  rings  came  from 
the  tomb  of  Bishop  Hilary  (1146-1169)  ;  it  is  of  mas- 
sive gold  and  is  set  with  a  sapphire.  When  the  tomb 
was  opened  the  ring  was  on  the  thumb  of  the  skeleton. 
In  a  stone  coffin  on  which  were  cut  the  letters  Episcopus, 
with  no  personal  name,  there  was  found  a  ring  adorned 
with  an  octagonal  sapphire,  on  four  sides  of  which  was 
set  a  small  emerald.  As  the  sarcophagus  contained  a 
pastoral  staff  and  remains  of  a  vestment,  this  was  un- 
doubtedly an  episcopal  ring.  It  will  have  been  re- 
marked that  of  these  rings  two  were  set  with  sapphires, 
but  the  ring  of  Archbishop  Sewall  (d.  1258),  found  in 
his  tomb  in  the  Cathedral  of  York,  and  that  from  the 
tomb  of  Archbishop  Greenfield  (d.  1315),  were  each  set 
with  a  ruby.^^ 

^®  Ph.  Labbei  et  Cossarti,  "  Sacrosancta  Concilia,"  vol.  ix, 
col.  395,  of  the  Council  of  Nimes. 

4^  Ednmind  Waterton,  "  E(piscopal  Rings,"  in  The  ArcJuB- 
ological  Journal,  vol.  xx,  p.  235,  figs.  6,  7  and  8  on  plate  op- 
posite that  page. 


Gold  ring  with  inscription.  "Buredruth"  is  probably  a  personal  name,  and 
the  Greek  characters  alpha  and  omega  should   have  a  religious  significance. 

Late  Saxon  ^  .  .  ,  ,  ^ 

British  Museum 


Episcopal  rings.    1,  found  in  York  Minster,  tomb  of  Archbishop  Sewall 
(d.  1256);  2,  found  in  tomb  of  Archbishop  Greenfield  (d.  1315) 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  Papal  ring  set  with  large  crystal,  Londesborough  Collection;  2,  ring  of  Bishop  Stanbury  of  Hereford  (1452-1474). 

Found  in  his  tomb,  1843;  two  views 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  silver  ring,  two  clasped  hands;  inscription  signifies  Jesus  Nazarenus  Rex.    2  and  3,  rosary  rings,  with  bosses 

used  to  count  the  prayers  recited 

Londesborough  Collection. 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  gold  ring  set  with  Gnostic  intaglio  on  jasper.  Found  in  tomb  of 
Seffrid,  Bishop  of  Chichester  (1125-1151);  three  views.  2,  gold  ring  set 
with  a  sapphire.  Found  in  tomb  of  Hilary,  Bishop  of  Chichester  (1146- 
1169);  two  views.  3,  gold  ring  set  with  a  sapphire  and  four  emeralds. 
Found  in  tomb  of  unknown  bishop 

ArchseologicalJournal,  vol.  xx,  pi.  opp.  p.  235;  1863 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


273 


The  mystic  significance  of  the  episcopal  ring  as 
typifying  the  union  of  Christ  with  his  Church  was  ex- 
pressed by  Innocent  III  (1198-1216)  in  these  words: 
"  The  ring  is  a  sacrament  of  faith,  by  which  Christ 
endows  his  spouse  the  Holy  Church."  This  can  be 
taken  as  confirmatory  of  the  theory  that  the  episcopal 
rings  were  directly  derived  from  the  betrothal  rings, 
and  were  not  merely  attributes  of  ecclesiastical  rank. 
So  closely  was  the  Bishop  bound  to  his  see,  that  his 
abandonment  of  it  to  go  to  another  was  regarded  by 
some  as  equivalent  to  the  commission  of  adultery. 

A  fine  example  of  a  sapphire-set  episcopal  ring  was 
found  in  1844,  during  some  alterations  to  the  chapel 
of  Notre  Dame  in  the  Cathedral  of  Troyes.  Several 
stone  coffins  were  discovered,  among  them  that  contain- 
ing the  remains  of  Hervee,  Bishop  of  Troyes,  conse- 
crated in  1206.  The  body  was  clothed  in  full  episcopal 
vestments.  The  ring  had  fallen  from  the  hand  but  was 
found  at  the  left  side  of  the  body.  It  had  a  diameter  of 
2  cm.  (about  4/5  inch)  and  was  set  with  a  fine  oblong 
sapphire  held  in  place  by  four  claws.^^  The  opening 
of  the  tomb  of  Pope  Boniface  VIII  (1294-1303)  re- 
vealed the  presence,  on  the  gloved  hand  of  the  dead 
pope,  of  a  splendid  gold  ring,  set  with  a  sapphire  of 
quite  exceptional  size  and  beauty.^^ 

In  1804,  at  the  opening  of  a  thirteenth-century  arch- 
bishop's sepulchre  in  the  Cathedral  of  Mainz,  believed 

"  De  sacro  altaris  mysterio,"  Migne's  Patrologia  Latina, 
vol.  ccxvii,  col.  796. 

Arnaud,  "  Notice  sur  les  objets  trouves  dans  plusieurs 
cercueils  de  pierre  a  la  cathedral  de  Troyes,"  Troyes,  1844, 
p.  13. 

Catalan,  "  Pontificale  romanum,"  vol.  iii,  p.  358,  citing 
the  annals  of  Abraham  Begovius,  ad  annum  1303,  num.  8. 
18 


274 


RINGS 


to  be  that  of  Archbishop  Sigfroi  III,  1249,  a  fine  pon- 
tifical ring  was  found;  it  is  set  with  a  large  ruby.^^  The 
bezel  is  of  disproportionate  size  in  comparison  with  the 
dimensions  of  the  rather  slender  circlet/^  This  ring  is 
large  enough  to  be  worn  over  a  glove  in  accord  with 
liturgical  requirements.  It  has  been  noted  that  in  proc- 
ess of  time  the  width  and  thickness  of  the  circlet  were 
gradually  increased,  at  first  to  make  it  harmonize  better 
with  a  large  bezel;  gradually,  however,  both  bezel  and 
hoop  were  made  so  large  as  to  render  the  ring  a  burden 
to  the  wearer,  and  even  difficult  to  keep  from  slipping 
off  the  finger.  Indeed,  it  was  sometimes  necessary  to 
wear  a  second,  closer-fitting  ring  under  it  as  a  guard.^^ 
The  treasury  of  Canterbury  Cathedral  contained  in 
1315,  according  to  an  inventory  of  the  "  Ornamenta 
Ecclesiastica,"  a  very  rich  and  elaborate  pontifical  ring. 
It  is  described  as  a  large  square  ring,  set  with  an  oblong 
emerald,  four  plasmas  (leek-green  quartz),  and  four 
garnets.  The  other  episcopal  rings  listed  on  this  in- 
ventory were  set  with  sapphires  bordered  with  small 
gems,  one  of  them  having  a  "  black  sapphire  "  set  a  jour, 
and  held  in  place  by  claws.  While  at  this  period  great 
latitude  was  exercised  regarding  the  particular  stone  to 
be  chosen  for  the  chief  adornment  of  the  ring,  it  was 
required  that  it  should  be  one  of  the  more  precious 
stones.^^ 

The  color  of  the  stones  chosen  for  the  adornment 
4*  R.  Rucklin,  "  Das  Schmuckbuch,"  Leipzig,  1871,  vol.  ii, 
pi.  56,  fig.  5. 

4^See  also  Hefner,  "  Trachten,"  pi.  9. 
46  Op.  cit.,  vol.  i,  p.  167. 

4^  Edmund  Waterton,  "On  Episcopal  R'mgs,''^  Archceological 
Journal,  vol.  xx,  p.  228,  London,  1863 ;  citing  Dart,  "  Hist,  of 
Cant.  Cath.,"  p.  346,  fol.  279,  and  Duranti,  "  De  ritibus,"  lib.  ii, 
cap.  ix,  sec.  37 • 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  275 


of  episcopal  rings  always  had  a  symbolical  significance. 
The  glowing  red  of  the  ruby  indicated  glory,  the  clear 
blue  of  the  sapphire,  chastity  and  happiness,  the  pure 
white  of  the  rock-crystal,  guilelessness,  while  the  hue  of 
the  amethyst  called  to  mind  the  color  of  the  wine  used 
in  the  Holy  Eucharist.  The  emerald,  as  is  well  known, 
signified  by  its  green  color  the  virtue  of  hope  and  also 
the  Resurrection. 

The  general  rule,  expressed  or  understood,  that  a 
sapphire  should  be  set  in  an  episcopal  ring,  seems  to 
have  been  more  commonly  observed  in  England  in  the 
earlier  centuries  than  it  was  on  the  Continent.  Un- 
doubtedly many  of  these  stones  were  obtained  at  the 
time  of  the  Crusades.  As  English  examples,  Mr.  O.  M. 
Dalton  cites  the  rings  of  three  early  bishops,  namely, 
those  of  Flambard  (1099-1128),  Geoffrey  Rufus 
(1133-40)  and  William  de  St.  Barbara  (1143-52),  now 
in  the  Durham  Chapter  Libraiy;  all  have  sapphires. 
The  same  stone  serves  as  setting  for  the  ring  of  William 
of  Wykeham,  a  massive  plain  gold  hoop,  exhibited  by 
the  Dean  of  Winchester  at  South  Kensington  in  1862, 
to  which  the  cathedral  also  contributed  a  thirteenth- 
century  episcopal  ring  set  with  a  large  sapphire  cut 
en  cabocJion^^  There  is  as  well  the  ring  of  William 
Wytlesey,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (d.  1374)  in  the 
possession  of  Sir  Arthur  Evans  and  that  of  John  Stan- 
bery.  Bishop  of  Hereford  (d.  1474).  The  inventory 
of  28  Edward  I  lists  sapphire-set  rings  of  the  arch- 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic  Mediaevel,  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  pp.  xxxvii,  xxxviii. 

Catalogue  of  the  special  exhibition  of  works  of  art  .  .  . 
at  the  South  Kensington  Museum,  June,  1862,  London,  1863, 
p.  636, 


276 


RINGS 


bishops  of  Dublin  and  York  as  well  as  of  the  bishops  of 
Salisbury  and  St.  Asaph.  The  rebel  Piers  Gaveston, 
favorite  of  Edward  II,  carried  off  with  him,  among 
other  royal  jewels,  sapphire  rings  that  had  belonged  to 
the  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells  and  to  the  Abbot  of 
Abingdon.  In  the  inventory  of  Elizabeth's  favorite 
ecclesiastic.  Archbishop  Parker  of  Canterbury,  is  listed 
"  a  ringe  with  a  blewe  sapphire,"  valued  at  four  pounds 
sterling. 

Old  records  show  that  even  in  the  fourteenth  century, 
the  sapphire,  although  greatly  favored  for  prelates' 
rings,  did  not  yet  enjoy  any  exclusive  preference. 

For  example,  during  the  reigns  of  Clement  V,  and 
John  XXII,  in  Avignon  (1307-1334),  the  papal 
registers  for  1317  note,  in  one  case,  "  seven  gold  rings 
with  various  stones  for  new  cardinals,  68  gold  florins." 
This,  however,  is  followed  by  another  entry  recording 
"  four  gold  rings  with  Oriental  sapphires  for  the  con- 
secration of  prelates,  26  gold  florins,"  and  again  "  a 
gold  ring  with  an  Oriental  sapphire  for  Cardinal  A, 
23  florins."  Three  years  later,  in  1320,  we  have  "  seven 
rings  for  the  seven  new  cardinals,  three  set  with 
Oriental  sapphires,  three  others  with  Oriental  emeralds, 
and  one  with  a  balas-ruby,  the  total  cost  being  106 
gold  florins.^*^ 

That  the  topaz  at  one  time  shared  with  the  sapphire 
the  honor  of  being  especially  fitted  for  use  in  ecclesi- 
astical rings  is  shown  by  a  passage  in  a  rare  fourteenth- 
century  manuscript  written  in  Italy.  Here  we  are  in- 
formed that  the  topaz  was  the  most  honorable  of  stones 

Maurice  Faucon,  "  Les  arts  a  la  cour  d' Avignon  sous 
Clement  V  et  Jean  XXII,"  in  Melanges  d'Archeologie  et  d'Hia- 
toire  11^^^  Annee,  pp.  76,  77;  IV^^^  Annee,  p.  107. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  277 


"  above  all  other  stones,"  and  that  for  this  reason  the 
great  prelates  wore  it  on  their  fingers.^  ^ 

The  green  variety  of  tourmaline  found  in  Brazil, 
and  often  called  "  Brazilian  emerald,"  was  for  a  long 
time  and  is  now  used  quite  freely  in  Brazil  as  a  setting 
of  episcopal  rings.  While  this  is  a  departure  from 
the  general  usage  of  selecting  a  blue  stone,  preferably 
sapphire,  for  this  purpose,  it  nevertheless  finds  a  parallel 
in  the  employment  of  emeralds  for  bishops'  rings  in 
quite  ancient  times,  as  is  the  case  with  one  of  the  earliest 
of  these  rings,  that  described,  or  we  should  rather  say 
proposed,  in  the  letter  of  St.  Avitus,  Bishop  of  Vienne 
in  France. 

When  a  prelate  has  been  raised  to  the  rank  of  car- 
dinal, he  has  to  resign  any  ring  he  may  have  been 
entitled  to  wear  previously,  and  awaits  the  bestowal 
of  the  special  cardinal's  ring  by  the  pope.  It  is  conferred 
by  the  pope  personally  at  the  consistory  wherein  he 
assigns  a  title  to  the  newly-chosen  cardinal.  This  ring 
is  made  by  a  pontifical  jeweller;  it  is  of  gold,  with  a  sap- 
phire in  the  bezel  and,  on  the  inside,  the  arms  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff.  Withal  it  is  rather  inexpensive,  the 
average  cost  having  been  put  at  about  $32,  although 
each  cardinal  is  obliged  to  pay  into  the  Congregation  of 
the  Propaganda  the  sum  of  $642  (3,210  francs)  as  a 
"ring  tax."  This  payment,  however,  gives  him  the  val- 
uable right  of  bequeathing  his  property  as  he  pleases  by 

^1  Italian  XIV  Century  MSS.  in  the  author's  library.  What 
appears  to  be  a  topaz  ring  is  on  the  fourth  finger  of  the  right 
band  in  Titian's  portrait  of  Archbishop  Filippo  Archinto, 
painted  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

^2  Edinburgh  Review,  July,  1866,  p.  M7. 


RINGS 


testament;  otherwise  everything  would  .go  to  the 
Church.^^ 

As  in  many  portraits  of  cardinals  and  high  church 
dignitaries  they  are  depicted  as  wearing  two  or  more 
rings,  it  has  been  erroneously  conjectured  that  each  ring 
represented  a  separate  benefice,  there  being  thus  as 
many  rings  as  benefices.  The  ceremonial  regulations, 
however,  clearly  indicate  that  the  wearing  of  many  rings 
is  simply  a  matter  of  taste,  all  except  that  on  the  annular 
finger  of  the  right  hand  being  purely  ornamental.^* 

A  ring  on  the  fourth  finger  of  the  right  hand  is 
shown  in  Carlo  Maratta's  portrait  of  Pope  Clement  IX 
(1667-1670),  given  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of 
Art,  New  York,  by  Archer  M.  Huntington,  Esq.,  in 
1891.  The  ring  bears  no  design,  the  setting  being  a 
large,  square,  beveled  stone.  The  beard  and  mustache 
of  the  pontiff  are  of  the  type  familiar  to  us  in  portraits 
of  Cardinal  Richelieu,  who  died  in  1642. 

A  splendid  example  of  the  cardinal's  ring  was 
recently  made  for  Cardinal  Farley.  It  is  set  with  an 
exceptionally  large  and  fine  sapphire,  of  rounded  oval 
form  and  an  inch  in  length;  the  color  is  rich  and  deep; 
the  stone  weighs  18J^  carats  and  is  a  Cinghalese  sap- 
phire. A  bordering  consisting  of  twenty-eight  diamonds 
surrounds  the  central  stone  and  serves  to  render  more 
strikingly  beautiful  the  rich  blue  of  the  sapphire,  often 
called  the  "cardinal's  stone"  because  it  is  the  one  used 
for  cardinal's  rings.  This  is  noteworthy,  as  red  is  pre- 
eminently the  cardinal's  color,  as  is  shown  in  his  robes, 
hat,  etc.;  hence  we  might  rather  expect  that  the  ruddy 

X.  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Le  costume  et  les  usages 
ecclesiastiques  selon  la  tradition  romaine,"  Paris  (1897),  vol.  i, 
p.  162. 

5^  Ibid.,  vol.  i,  p.  159. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


279 


ruby  would  have  the  preference.  However,  the  fact  that 
the  sapphire  denotes  chastity  and  celestial  purity  has 
caused  this  stone  to  be  chosen  for  the  adornment  of  the 
rings  worn  by  those  who,  from  their  exalted  ecclesiastical 
rank,  are  more  especially  called  upon  to  set  a  high  ex- 
ample to  the  priesthood.  The  shank  of  Cardinal  Far- 
ley's ring  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  examples  of  Amer- 
ican goldsmithing  in  existence.  The  chasing  of  the 
circlet  shows  on  one  side  the  ample  facade  and  the 
lofty  spires  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  in  New  York, 
and  on  the  other  side  emblems  of  the  cardinalate.  It 
was  the  gift  of  a  priest  who  has  known  the  Cardinal 
for  many  years. 

When  the  Right  Rev.  David  H.  Greer  was  conse- 
crated Bishop  of  New  York,  some  of  his  friends  pre- 
sented him  with  a  very  handsome  amethyst  signet,  but 
unfortunately  this  tribute  was  stolen  from  his  home 
by  burglars,  two  or  three  years  ago.  When  necessity 
arises  of  making  an  official  signature  he  uses  a  steel 
impression  stamp  of  the  seal  of  the  diocese.  He  has  a 
fac-simile  impression  stamp  of  the  seal  which  was  stolen, 
but  he  seldom  or  never  uses  this.^^ 

The  amethyst  seal  of  Bishop  Greer  bore  for  its 
motto,  "Crux  Mihi  Grata  Quies  "  (The  Cross  is  for 
me  a  grateful  rest).  This  is  the  motto  of  Mrs.  Greer's 
family.  On  the  shield  is  the  monogram  of  the  bishop's 
initials,  D.  H.  G. ;  above  are  two  keys  in  saltire ;  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  shield-  just  beneath  the  monogram,  is 
the  coat-of-arms  of  New  Amsterdam;  as  crest  is  an 

This  ring  is  figured  as  frontispiece  to  the  writer's 
"  Curious  Lore  of  Precious  Stones,"  Philadelphia  and  London, 
1913. 

From  a  letter  written  by  Bishop  Greer  to  the  author, 
September  22,  1916. 


280 


RINGS 


episcopal  mitre.    This  was  not,  however,  a  seal  ring. 

The  so-called  "mitred  abbots",  those  who  governed 
the  larger  monasteries,  or  whose  notable  services  in  the 
cause  of  the  Church  were  thought  to  merit  some  special 
mark  of  honor,  were  sometimes  given  the  right  of  wear- 
ing the  episcopal  ring  at  solemn  ceremonies.  We  are 
told  that  at  the  deposition  of  Abbot  Kainaldus,  head 
of  the  great  Benedictine  Abbey  of  Monte  Casino,  not 
far  from  Naples,  he  publicly  laid  his  staff  and  his  ring 
upon  the  shrine  containing  the  body  of  St.  Benedict.^^ 

The  energy  with  which  some  of  the  leading  theo- 
logians of  the  twelfth  century  protested  against  the  use 
of  episcopal  rings  by  abbots,  merits  illustration  by  an 
extract  from  the  writings  of  St.  Bernard,  who  in  a  trac- 
tate addressed  to  Henri,  Archbishop  of  Sens,  writes : 

"  Several  have  clearly  enough  indicated  where  were 
their  thoughts  when,  having  obtained  apostolic  privi- 
leges by  many  intrigues  and  by  bribery,  they  appro- 
priated to  themselves  and  use,  in  virtue  of  these  conces- 
sions, the  mitre,  the  ring  and  the  sandals,  just  as  do 
the  pontiffs  themselves.  .  .  .  Oh,  Monks,  whither 
will  this  lead  you?  Have  you  banished  all  fear  from  your 
souls?  Can  the  blush  of  shame  no  longer  rise  to  your 
cheeks?  " 

Not  only  abbots,  but  abbesses  also,  are  represented 
on  their  monuments  as  wearing  rings,  as  for  example 
Agnes  Jordan,  Abbess  of  the  Bridgetine  Convent  of 
Syon,  whose  brass  figure  at  Denham,  Bucks  County, 
England,^^  shows  a  ring  on  her  finger.  However, 
in  1572,  the  year  of  his  accession  to  the  papal  throne, 

^'^  Kirchmann,  "  De  anulis,"  Lugd.  Bat.,  1672,  p.  185. 
Tractatus  de  officio  episcopi,  ad  Henricum  Senonensem 
episcopum,  cap.  ix. 

H.  Druitt,  Costume  in  Brass,  p.  98. 


ABBESS  PRAYING.  FRENCH  SCHOOL 
Seal  ring  on  index  of  right  hand;  ring  with  precious  stone  setting  on  fourth  finger  of  the  same  hand 

Mus6e  du  Louvre 


PORTRAIT  OF  A  LADY,  liY  CONINXBO 
Two  rings  on  index  of  right  hand  and  two  on  index  of  left  hand;  smaller  one  on  fourth  finger  of  left  hand 

Mus^e  de  Bruxelles 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  m 


Gregory  XIII  abolished  this  custom;  how  long  it  had 

endured  has  not  been  determined.^ ^ 

Certain  other  prelates  of  lesser  rank  than  bishops 

have  the  right  to  wear  rings,  such  as  the  protonotaries, 

for  example,  but  as  a  rule  they  are  not  permitted  to 

wear  them  while  celebrating  an  ordinary  mass,  low 

or  high;  only  when  officiating  pontifically  may  they 

wear  pontifical  rings.    The  ring  commonly  worn  is 

much  smaller  than  that  accorded  to  a  bishop  and  is 

set  with  a  single  stone,  as  is  expressly  ordained  in  the 

constitution  ApostoUcce  Sedis  of  Pius  IX,  dated  in 
1872.^2 

That  the  canons  of  a  cathedral  should  generally  be 
allowed  to  wear  rings  has  been  repeatedly  decided  ad- 
versely in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  a  recent  in- 
stance being  when  the  Bishop  of  Nicaragua  submitted 
this  question  to  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites 
in  Rome,  because  the  practice  had  become  common  in 
Nicaragua.  In  reply  he  was  informed  that  this  must 
not  be  tolerated,  except  in  case  of  a  special  indulgence 
from  the  pope,  and  the  bishop  was  required  to  suppress 
the  abuse.  The  reply  was  dated  August  20,  1870,  just 
a  month  before  the  entry  of  the  Italian  army  into  Rome 
and  the  cessation  of  the  papal  rule  over  the  city.^^ 

In  a  letter  written  December,  1751,  Pope  Bene- 
dict XIV  relates  the  finding  of  a  gold  ring  so  small 
that  it  would  fit  the  finger  of  a  three-months'  old  babe, 

"  Dictionnaire  d'archeologie  chretienne  et  de  liturgie," 
ed.  by  Dom  Fernan  Cabrol,  vol.  i,  Paris,  1907,  col.  2187,  art. 
anneau  by  Leclercq. 

X.  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Le  costume  et  les  usages 
ecclesiastiques  selon  la  tradition  romaine,"  Paris  (1897),  vol.  i, 
pp.  163,  164i. 

63  Ihid,,  vol.  i,  pp.  164-170. 


RINGS 


and  bearing  certain  characters  indicating  a  priestly 
quality  of  the  infant.  This  the  pope  understood  not  as 
signifying  that  it  had  been  made  a  deacon,  but  that  its 
parents  had  consecrated  it  to  the  service  of  the  church, 
so  that  it  should  later  become  a  monk  or  priest.^* 

His  Grace,  the  Most  Reverend  Archbishop  Evdo- 
kim,  the  highest  dignitary  of  the  Russian  Church  in  the 
United  States,  has  stated  that  neither  the  Metropoli- 
tan, nor  the  Archbishops  nor  clergy  of  the  Russian 
Church  wear  rings  of  any  kind.  They  use  seals  but  these 
are  not  in  the  form  of  signets.  In  this  respect,  the  usage 
differs  from  that  in  many  other  churches. 

The  ring  given  to  the  King  of  England  at  his  coro- 
nation bears  a  close  relationship  to  the  episcopal  ring, 
and  emphasizes  the  religious  authority  of  the  sov- 
ereign. This  appears  very  clearly  in  the  English  cere- 
monial, where  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  pro- 
nounces the  following  prayer  of  consecration: 

Bless,  0  Lord,  and  sanctify  this  Ring,  that  Thy  servant, 
wearing  it,  may  be  sealed  with  the  ring  of  faith,  and  by  the 
power  of  the  Highest  be  preserved  from  sin;  and  let  all  the 
blessings  which  are  found  in  Holy  Scriptures  plentifully  descend 
upon  himi,  that  whatsoever  he  may  sanctify  may  be  holy,  and 
whatsoever  he  may  bless  may  be  blessed.  Amen.^^ 

The  Coronation  Ring  of  the  English  kings  is  of 
pure  gold  and  is  usually  set  with  a  large  table  ruby 
of  a  violet  hue,  the  flat  surface  engraved  with  the  figure 
of  a  St.  George's  cross.  About  the  ruby  are  set  twenty- 
six  diamonds.    As  the  ring  is  designed  to  serve  for 

«4  Ihid.,  vol.  i,  pp.  175,  176. 

The  complete  ceremonies  and  procedures  observed  at  the 
coronation  of  the  kings  and  queens  of  England,  London  (1902), 
p.  30. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  283 


successive  coronations,  the  circlet  is  jointed  so  as  to  fit 
a  larger  or  smaller  finger.  A  queen  consort  is  given 
at  the  ceremony  of  coronation  a  ring  of  pure  gold  also 
bearing  a  ruby,  but  unengraved;  about  the  stone  are 
sixteen  smaller  rubies,  so  graded  as  to  size  that  the 
largest  are  placed  nearest  to  the  central  stone,  the 
size  diminishing  as  the  distance  increases.  The  ruby 
has  been  chosen  as  emblematic  of  faithfulness.  These 
rings  are  put  on  the  fourth  ^nger  of  king  and  queen, 
and  the  king's  ring  is  called  by  some  writers  "The 
Wedding-Hing  of  England,"  the  sovereign  being  re- 
garded as  espoused  to  the  nation  over  whose  welfare 
he  is  to  watch.^^ 

The  coronation  ring  of  William  IV  of  England, 
although  scarcely  a  notable  example  of  the  jeweller's 
art,  is  striking  enough  in  its  way.  In  many  earlier 
coronation  rings,  for  which  the  ruby  (or  a  spinel)  was 
the  stone  traditionally  favored,  a  St.  George's  cross 
was  engraved  on  the  ruby,  but  in  the  case  of  William 
IV's  ring  the  cross  is  formed  of  five  rubies,  a  square 
central  stone  and  four  oblong  ones  for  the  arms  of 
the  cross,  all  set  over  a  large  cabochon-cut  sapphire, 
this  affording  a  blue  background  for  the  red  cross, 
similar  to  the  blue  field  of  the  cross  of  St.  Andrew. 
There  is  also  a  bordering  of  brilliants.  This  ring  while 
effective  enough  in  the  sharp  contrast  of  color,  is  lack- 
ing in  harmony  and  taste.^^ 

The  insignia  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  include  most 
of  the  emblems  belonging  to  royal  insignia,  and  each 
of  them  has  its  especial  and  peculiar  significance.  Unity 

Debrett's  Dictionary  of  the  Coronation,  London  (1902), 
pp.  38,  126. 

^'^  Cyril  Davenport,  "  Jewellery,"  Chicago,  1908,  Plate  xvi, 
opp.  p.  110. 


284 


RINGS 


is  typified  by  the  ring;  the  coronet  is  an  emblem  of 
friendship.  The  staff  in  conjunction  with  the  ring 
suggests  the  rehgious  side  of  the  princely  or  royal  office, 
for  these  emblems  form  an  important  part  of  the  epis- 
copal insignia.  A  special  local  association  results  from 
the  fact  that  Welsh  gold,  mined  by  Welshmen  in  the 
Merionethshire  mines,  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
these  ornaments.  A  gold  medal  bearing  the  head  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales  on  the  obverse,  and  on  the  reverse 
a  representation  of  the  Eagle  Tower  of  Carnarvon 
Castle,  was  struck  for  the  present  holder  of  the  title. 

At  the  coronation  ceremonies  of  the  kings  of  France, 
the  officiating  ecclesiastic  said  to  the  sovereign  in  hand- 
ing him  the  Coronation  Ring:  "Receive  this  ring,  a 
symbol  of  holy  faith  and  of  the  stability  of  the  King- 
dom, a  sign  of  power,  by  which  thou  shalt  be  able  to 
defeat  all  enemies  with  triumphant  power,  to  destroy 
all  heresies,  to  unite  all  subjects  and  to  maintain  them 
constantly  bound  together  by  the  Catholic  faith." 
This  formula  dates  back  at  least  as  far  as  986  a.d.^  and 
was  probably  in  use  at  an  even  earlier  date.^^  The 
close  union  of  Church  and  State  is  strongly  empha- 
sized, as  well  as  the  necessity  for  uniformity  of  belief, 
this  having  been  a  source  of  strength  for  the  State 
when  voluntarily  present,  but  a  cause  of  manifold  and 
dreadful  misfortunes  when  the  religious  convictions  of 
the  subjects  became  discordant. 

When  a  nun  is  consecrated  the  priest  places  a  ring 
on  her  finger,  reciting  the  following  words  from  the 
Roman  pontifical : 

Abbe  Barraud,  "  Des  bagnes  a  toutes  les  epoques,  et  en 
particulier  de  I'anneau  des  eveques  et  des  abbes,"  Bulletin 
Monumental,  vol.  xxx,  p.  17. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS  285 


I  espouse  thee  to  Jesus  Christ,  Son  of  the  Supreme  Father, 
who  will  preserve  thee  from  all  ill.  Accept,  therefore,  this  ring 
of  faith,  a  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  thou  mayst  be  called 
a  spouse  of  God,  and  be  crowned  for  ever, 

Before  the  rings  are  bestowed  they  are  heaped  up 
on  the  altar  and  are  collectively  blessed  by  the  offici- 
ating priest.  As  the  formula  used  defines  the  charac- 
ter and  quality  of  the  ring  more  closely  than  do  the 
simple  words  of  presentation,  it  is  here  given  as  fol- 
lows, this  formula  already  appearing  in  the  pontifical 
of  Pierre,  Bishop  of  Senlis,  1350;^^ 

Creator  and  preserver  of  the  human  race,  grantor  of 
spiritual  grace  and  bestower  of  bodily  health,  O  God,  send 
forth  thy  blessing  upon  these  rings  that  those  who  may  wear 
them,  shall  possess  celestial  virtue,  perfect  faith  and  true 
fidelity,  shall  maintain,  as  spouses  of  Christ,  their  vow  of 
virginity,  and  shall  persevere  in  constant  chastity.  By  Christ 
Our  Lord. 

A  pretty  usage  was  observed  at  the  reception  into 
the  order  of  the  August inian  nuns  of  Saint  Thomas, 
at  Villeneueve.  On  taking  the  vow,  a  ring  was  placed 
on  the  nun's  finger  by  a  poor  little  girl,  who  said  at  the 
same  time:  "Remember,  dear  sister,  that  you  have  be- 
come this  day  the  spouse  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  ser- 
vant of  the  poor."  The  sister,  after  having  respect- 
fully accepted  the  gift  made  her  by  one  who  represented 
the  Lord,  kisses  the  child  who  has  reminded  her  of  the 
poor  to  whose  service  she  is  consecrated.^^ 

Abbe  Barraud,  "  Des  bagues  a  toutes  les  epoques  et  en 
particulier  de  Panneau  des  eveques  et  des  abbes,"  Bulletin  Monu- 
mentale,  vol.  xxx,  p.  32. 

'^^  X.  Barbier  de  Montault,  "  Le  costume  et  les  usages  eccles- 
iastiques  selon  la  tradition  romaine,"  Paris,  (1897),  vol.  i,  p. 
174,  note. 


286 


RINGS 


According  to  an  old  recital,  a  miraculous  ring  was 
once  found  by  a  pious  nun  in  the  convent  garden.  One 
day  when  she  was  engaged  in  tending  a  bed  of  flowers, 
there  came  over  her  the  ardent  wish  to  receive  a  divine 
sign  in  the  shape  of  a  ring,  testifying  to  the  reality  of 
her  espousal  with  Christ.  The  Lord  answered  the  fer- 
vent aspiration  of  his  handmaiden,  for  suddenly  there 
appeared  before  her  in  the  flower  bed  an  actual  ring, 
no  deception  of  the  senses,  but  a  material  body.  This 
story  is  related  by  Johann  Nider  in  his  Latin  work, 
"Formicarius,"  published  in  Strassburg  in  1517,  and 
the  writer  asseverates  that  he  saw  the  ring,  which  was 
of  a  white  substance  resembling  pure  silver.*^ ^ 

A  Ring  of  Widowhood,  sealing  a  widow's  vow  to 
remain  faithful  to  the  memory  of  her  dead  husband, 
w^as  not  rarely  bestowed,  three  or  four  centuries  ago, 
to  serve  as  a  mark  of  the  solemn  vow.  A  noteworthy 
instance  is  that  of  Katherine  Rippelingham,  who,  in 
her  will  dated  February  8,  1473,  describes  herself  as 
"advowes"  ("vowed"),  and  expresses  the  wish  to  be 
interred  in  "Baynardes  Castell  of  London."  In  a  codi- 
cil she  leaves  to  her  granddaughter,  Alice  St.  John, 
"her  gold  ring  with  a  diamante  therein  wherewith  she 
was  sacrid,"  or  consecrated.  In  another  will,  that  of 
William  Herbert,  Lord  Pembroke,  the  wife  is  en- 
joined to  remember  her  promise  that  she  will  take  the 
order  of  widowhood,  so  that,  as  the  testator  continues, 
"ye  may  be  the  better  maistres  of  your  owen,  to  per- 
form my  will,  and  to  help  my  children,  as  I  love  and 
trust  you." 

Cited  by  William  Jones,  "Finger-Ring  Lore,"  London, 
1877.  pp.  S37. 

'^^  Henry  Harrod  "  On  the  Mantle  and  Ring  of  Widow- 
hood," Archseologia,  vol.  xl,  pt.     p.  308 ;  London  1864.  . 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  RINGS 


287 


In  view  of  the  bad  results  of  a  second  marriage 
when  a  widow  falls  into  the  hands  of  some  designing 
man,  to  the  destruction  of  her  children's  welfare,  this 
usage,  so  long  discontinued,  of  binding  herself  by  a 
solemn  vow,  had  something  to  recommend  it  in  times 
far  past,  when  more  stress  was  laid  upon  the  sanctions 
and  prohibitions  of  religion  than  is  generally  the  case 
in  our  day. 

At  a  solemn  ceremony  of  this  kind,  held  at  the 
Priory  of  Campsey,  in  1382,  during  the  reign  of  Rich- 
ard II,  Isabella,  Countess  of  Suffolk,  took  the  vow  in 
the  presence  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  Lords  Willough- 
by  and  Scales,  and  other  nobles.  The  old  Norman 
French  form  of  her  pledge  has  been  preserved  and  may 
be  given  here  for  its  historic  interest:  "Jeo  Isabella, 
jadys  la  femme  William  de  Ufford,  Count  de  Suffolk, 
vowe  a  Dieu,  en  presence  de  tres  reverentz  piers  en 
Dieu,  evesques  de  Ely  et  de  Norwiz,  qe  jeo  doi  estre 
chaste  d'ors  en  avant  ma  vie  durante."  (I,  Isabella, 
formerly  the  wife  of  William  de  Ufford,  Count  of  Suf- 
folk, vow  to  God  in  presence  of  the  very  reverend  fathers 
in  God,  the  bishops  of  Ely  and  of  Norwich,  that  I  shall 
remain  chaste  from  now  on  during  my  entire  life.)'^^ 

Op.  cit.,  p.  609,  citing  Gough,  "  Sepulchral  Monuments," 
vol.  i,  p.  cxix. 


VII 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS 

FROM  their  close  contact  with  the  person  as  well 
as  from  their  symbolic  form,  the  significance  of 
many  designs  engraved  upon  them,  and  the  supposed 
virtues  of  stones  set  in  them,  some  rings  have  enjoyed 
the  repute  of  possessing  magic  powers,  both  in  ancient 
and  mediaeval  times,  and  even  much  later.  In  a  num- 
ber of  cases,  we  can  find  some  clue  to  the  attribution  of 
a  special  virtue  to  a  magic  ring;  in  other  cases,  how- 
ever, the  circumstances  leading  to  this  are  no  longer 
to  be  ascertained,  and  we  must  content  ourselves  with 
the  fact  that  such  and  such  a  ring,  or  type  of  rings, 
has  been  thought  to  have  such  and  such  a  mysterious 
influence. 

No  ancient  talisman  enjoyed  a  greater  repute  in 
mediaeval  legend  than  the  "Ring  of  Solomon"  or  "Solo- 
mon's Seal"  as  it  was  often  called.  An  Arab  legend  tells 
that  by  means  of  the  power  inherent  in  his  ring,  the 
Hebrew  King  was  able  to  succeed  in  all  his  undertak- 
ings. However,  for  the  space  of  forty  years  he  was 
deprived  of  its  aid,  as  he  once  thoughtlessly  took  it  off  his 
hand  when  he  was  in  the  bath  and  it  was  carried  away  by 
a  malevolent  genius.  At  the  end  of  the  forty  years  it 
was  found  again  in  the  body  of  a  fish  served  on  the 
monarch's  table.  In  Rabbinical  legend  this  ring  is  said 
to  have  been  set  with  a  marvellous  precious  stone,  per- 
haps a  diamond,  which  served  as  a  magic  mirror  wherein 
Solomon  was  able  to  see  reflected  the  image  of  any 

288 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  289 


distant  place  or  of  any  persons  in  regard  to  whom  he 
wished  to  be  informed/ 

A  variant  of  the  legend  we  have  just  given  is  found 
in  another  Arabian  tradition,  which  recounts  that  Sol- 
omon was  so  much  infatuated  with  a  female  prisoner, 
the  daughter  of  a  Gentile  prince,  and  named  Aminah, 
that  he  entrusted  to  her  care  his  precious  signet,  given 
to  him  by  the  four  angels  that  presided  over  the  four 
elements.  A  mighty  Jinn  succeeded  in  gaining  pos- 
session of  the  ring,  and,  by  its  power,  assumed  Solo- 
mon's form,  at  the  same  time  changing  that  unhappy 
monarch's  appearance  to  such  an  extent  that  his  cour- 
tiers no  longer  recognized  him,  and  drove  him  from  his 
kingdom.  However,  one  of  Solomon's  ministers  was 
shrewd  enough  to  see  through  the  disguise  of  the  Jinn, 
and  proceeded  to  exorcise  the  evil  spirit  by  reciting 
certain  verses  of  the  Law.  The  Jinn  fled  affrighted, 
and  dropped  the  ring  into  the  sea.  Here  it  was  swal- 
lowed by  a  fish,  and  in  due  time  this  fish  was  caught 
by  Solomon,  who  had  entered  the  employ  of  a  fisher- 
man. Once  again  in  possession  of  his  ring,  Solomon 
soon  regained  his  kingdom.^ 

The  great  Persian  poet  Hafiz  of  Shiraz  thus  uses 
Solomon's  Seal  to  point  a  moral ;  ^ 

Matters  of  beauty  other  there  be,  beside  sweet  speech, 
And  Solomon-hood  by  a  seal-ring  alone  is  not  begot. 

The  legend  of  the  mystic  ring  of  Gyges  is  related 

^  Giovanni  B.  Rampolli,  "  Annales  Musulmani,"  vol.  viii, 
Milano,  1824,  p,  544!  sqq.,  note  90. 

2  Burton  "  Supplementary  Nights,"  London,  1886,  vol.  iii,  p. 
1%  note. 

^  The  poems  of  Mohammed  Hafiz  of  Shiraz,  translated  by 
John  Payne,  London,  1901,  vol,  iii,  p.  230;  epodes  II,  2. 
19 


290 


RINGS 


by  Plato  in  his  Republic/  According  to  this  recital 
the  ring  was  found  under  very  extraordinary  circum- 
stances by  "an  ancester  of  Gyges  the  Lydian,"  but  the 
text  seems  to  be  corrupt,  and  Gyges  himself  was  prob- 
ably said  to  have  been  the  finder.  Gyges  (or  his  an- 
cestor) was  at  the  time  a  shepherd  in  the  service  of  the 
Lydian  King.  One  day  a  violent  storm  occurred,  fol- 
lowed by  an  earthquake  which  opened  up  a  deep  chasm 
in  the  earth,  near  the  place  where  this  shepherd  was 
feeding  his  flock.  Moved  by  curiosity,  he  descended 
into  the  chasm  and  saw  therein  a  hollow,  brazen  horse, 
with  openings  at  the  sides;  bending  down  and  looking 
through  these  openings,  he  discerned  within  the  horse 
the  body  of  a  man  of  immense  size.  A  golden  ring 
glittered  on  the  finger  of  the  corpse.  This  the  shep- 
herd removed,  and  climbing  out  of  the  chasm,  straight- 
way took  his  departure.  When,  a  few  days  later,  all  the 
shepherds  assembled  to  prepare  their  monthly  reports 
to  the  king,  the  man  who  had  found  the  ring  was  of  their 
number.  As  he  sat  with  the  others  he  carelessly  turned 
and  twisted  the  ring  which  he  had  placed  on  his  finger, 
until,  by  chance,  he  turned  the  bezel  toward  the  inside  of 
his  hand.  Immediately  he  became  invisible,  and  heard 
the  other  shepherds  talking  of  him  as  though  he  were 
absent;  but  when  he  turned  the  ring  around  again,  so 
that  the  bezel  was  outside,  he  reappeared.  He  repeated 
this  experiment  several  times  until  he  had  assured  him- 
self of  the  strange  virtue  of  the  ring.  Realizing  then  the 
extraordinary  opportunities  that  this  power  afforded 
him,  the  shepherd  asked  and  obtained  the  privilege  of 
bearing  the  reports  to  the  king,  and  soon  found  means 

^  Lib.  ii,  cap  3 ;  Platonis  Dialogi,  ed.  Hermann,  vol.  iv, 
Lipsi^,  1883,  pp.  37,  38. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  291 


to  seduce  the  queen,  and,  by  her  aid,  to  slay  the  king 
and  gain  possession  of  the  kingdom. 

Although  the  legend  does  not  expressly  state  that 
the  ring  was  set  with  a  stone,  the  use  of  the  term  "bezel" 
(  a^evhovYi  )  suggests  that  some  precious  stone  was  the 
seat  of  the  magic  power  the  ring  possessed.  The  tradi- 
tions current  at  a  later  period  with  regard  to  the  opal, 
which  was  reputed  to  render  the  wearer  invisible,  make 
it  not  improbable  that,  in  the  original  legend,  the  ring 
of  Gyges  was  represented  to  have  been  set  with  an  opal, 
or  rather  perhaps  with  one  of  the  rainbow-hued  speci- 
mens of  iridescent  quartz.  Plato  may  well  have  omitted 
this  detail,  for  he  was  making  a  didactic  use  of  the  story 
and  would  naturally  treat  his  material  very  freely. 

An  old  author  conjectures  that  the  stone  set  in  the 
ring  of  Gyges  was  a  serpent-stone  from  India.  In  that 
land  brilliant  and  exceedingly  beautiful  stones  were  said 
to  be  found  in  the  heads  of  certain  crested  snakes  that 
abode  in  the  mountains.  If  such  a  stone  were  set  in  a 
gold  or  silver  ring,  at  the  time  when  the  planetary  or 
stellar  control  of  the  stone  was  in  the  ascendant,  the 
wearer  of  the  ring  was  sure  to  have  the  fullest  possible 
benefit  from  its  powers.^  The  idea  that  serpents  were 
endowed  with  supernatural  wisdom  was  held  by  many 
ancient  peoples,  and  in  India  legend  assigned  to  these 
mysterious  and  dreaded  reptiles  the  guardianship  over 
diamonds,  and  also  over  the  corundum  gems ,  chief 
among  which  are  the  fair  sapphire  and  the  glowing  ruby. 

The  gold  ring  of  Minos,  King  of  Crete,  although 
of  course  purely  mythical,  is  usually  ranked  among  the 
magic  rings.   It  is  said  to  have  been  used  by  the  Cretan, 

^  Caeselii,  "  Commentarii  antiquorum  lectionum,"  Venetiis, 
1516,  p.  141 ;  lib.  iii,  cap.  xxv. 


292 


RINGS 


who  claimed  Jupiter  as  his  father,  to  test  whether  Nep- 
tune were  really  the  father  of  Theseus.  Taking  his  ring 
off  his  finger,  Minos  cast  it  into  the  sea,  and  commanded 
Theseus  to  bring  it  back  to  him,  if  the  latter  wished  peo- 
ple to  believe  Neptune  to  be  his  father.  He  himself, 
Minos,  could  easily  furnish  proof  of  his  descent  from 
J ove  by  praying  for  a  celestial  sign.  This  he  did,  and 
immediately  a  loud  thunder-clap  resounded  in  the 
heavens.  Not  to  be  outdone,  Theseus,  not  even  stop- 
ping to  make  any  supplication,  threw  himself  into  the 
sea  to  seek  the  ring.  On  this,  there  appeared  a  mul- 
titude of  dolphins,  and  Theseus  was  softly  borne  away 
to  the  Nereides,  who  gave  him  the  ring  so  that  he 
might  restore  it  to  Minos.^ 

The  legendary  ring  of  Helen  of  Troy  is  said  to 
have  borne  as  its  setting  an  astroites  or  star-gem 
taken  from  the  head  of  a  mysterious  fish  called  pan, 
because  in  appearance  it  resembled  the  god  Pan.  Per- 
haps the  gem  was  simply  one  of  the  head-stones  exist- 
ing in  certain  fishes  of  other  species.  This  stone,  which 
emitted  rays  of  flame,  was  conceived  to  be  a  most  potent 
love-charm,  drawing  to  its  wearer  the  love  of  anyone 
he,  or  she,  might  wish  to  fascinate,  and  the  particular 
specimen  of  this  strange  gem  which  Helen  wore  was 
a  signet,  engraved  with  the  image  of  the  god  by  whose 
name  the  fish  was  called."^ 

Among  the  rings  miraculously  found  after  they 
have  apparently  been  irrevocably  lost,  was  one  of  iron 

^  Hjgini,  "  Astronomica,'*  ed.  by  Emile  Chatelain  and  Paul 
Legendre,  Paris,  1909,  p.  19.  Bibliotheque  de  I'Ecole  des 
Plautes  Etudes,  Ease.  168. 

King,  "  Handbook  of  E,ngraved  Gems,"  London,  1866,  p. 
184,  citing  Ptolemy  Hephaistion,  bk.  ii,  and  Suidas. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  293 


given  to  Seleucus  I,  Nicator  (365-281  B.C.),  whose 
wide  dominions  stretched  from  the  western  seaboard  of 
Asia  Minor  to  India.  This  prized  ring  was  lost  by 
chance  near  the  river  Euphrates,  but  was  later  recovered 
at  the  very  spot  where  the  ruler's  mother  had  predicted 
it  would  be  found.^  Whether  this  was  revealed  to  her 
in  dream  or  trance  the  recital  does  not  state.^ 

A  talismanic  bronze  ring  in  the  British  Museum 
is  set  with  an  amethyst  on  which  has  been  engraved  a 
human  eye,  evidently  a  charm  against  the  Evil  Eye. 
This  dread  influence  was  also  combated  by  a  peculiar 
type  of  ring  having  gold  nails  or  studs  inserted  in  them. 
This  is  a  Gr^eco-Roman  type  of  about  500  to  200  b.c.^ 
and  does  not  appear  to  have  gained  favor  with  the 
Romans.  In  a  large  and  massive  gold  ring  of  the  late 
Roman  period,  the  entire  bezel  has  been  given  the  form 
of  an  eye.  This  ring  weighs  975  grains,  or  over  two 
ounces ;  it  was  found  in  Tarsus,  and  belongs  to  the  third 
Christian  century. 

In  a  few  ancient  rings  gold  and  silver  have  been 
combined,  as  shown  by  a  striking  example  in  the  British 
Museum,  where  the  upper  part  of  the  hoop  is  of  gold 
and  the  lower  half  of  silver.  This  has  been  conjectured 
to  have  been  designed  to  render  the  ring  a  talisman, 
the  joining  of  gold  and  silver  having  a  similar  effect 
to  that  obtained  by  inserting  a  gold  nail  in  the  bezel 
of  a  silver  ring.   The  bezel  of  the  massive  ring  we  have 

^  This  may  have  been  the  ring  supposed  to  have  been  given 
by  Apollo,  before  the  birth  of  Seleucus. 
1601,  p.  3. 

^Abrahami  Gorlaei,  "Dactjliotheca,"  Delphi  Batavorum, 
^^F.  H.  Marshall  "Catalogue  of  the  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 

Etruscan  and  Roman,  in  the  British  Museum,"  London,  1907, 

pp.  xxiii,  xxxiii,  131,  Plate  XX,  fig.  801. 


294 


RINGS 


noted  is  set  with  a  sard  engraved  in  intaglio  with  the 
design  of  a  shepherd  seated  on  a  rock/^ 

The  wearing,  at  certain  religious  ceremonies,  of  a 
ring  set  with  a  gem  on  which  was  engraved  a  design 
having  some  fancied  connection  with  the  ceremony,  ap- 
pears not  to  have  been  uncommon  in  the  Roman  world. 
An  instance  of  this  is  given  by  the  historian  Suetonius, 
who  states  that  when  Nero  was  about  to  take  the 
auspices  (the  bird-augury),  Sporus  gave  him  a  ring 
the  gem  of  which  represented  the  carrying  off  of  Proser- 
pina, goddess  of  the  infernal  regions. The  finding  of 
a  ring  with  a  particular  design  was  also  looked  upon  as 
a  harbinger  of  good  fortune.  Shortly  after  the  choice 
of  Galba  as  emperor  (68  a.d.),  there  was  found  in 
building  the  fortifications  of  a  city,  on  the  spot  the 
emperor  had  selected  for  a  military  exercising  ground, 
a  ring  of  antique  workmanship  engraved  with  the  figure 
of  a  Victory  with  a  trophy.  This  was  accepted  as  a 
happy  presage.^^ 

Josephus  tells  us  of  a  magic  ring  which  was  used 
by  a  Jew  named  Eleazar.  In  the  presence  of  the  em- 
peror Vespasian,  of  his  son,  and  of  his  court,  this  man 
cured  those  suffering  from  demoniacal  possession.  His 
method  was  to  introduce  into  the  nose  of  the  patient 
a  ring  having  beneath  its  device  an  herb  designated 
by  Solomon.  The  evil  spirit  was  attracted  by  the  odor 
of  the  herb  and  immediately  passed  out  of  the  man's 
body.    After  this  Eleazar  exorcised  it  by  chanting 

^^F.  H.  Marshall.  "Catalogue  of  Finger  Rings,  Greek, 
Etruscan,  and  Roman,  in  the  Departments  of  Antiquities, 
British  Museum,"  London,  1907,  p.  xxxiii,  No.  386 ;  see  Plate 

xn. 

12  Suetonii,  "  Nero,"  cap.  xlvi. 

13  Suetonii,  "  Galba,"  cap.  x. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  295 


certain  "psalms  of  Solomon."  Furthermore,  in  order 
to  convince  the  spectators  of  the  presence  of  the  evil 
spirit,  he  used  to  place  on  the  ground  a  vase  filled  with 
water,  and  command  the  demon  to  upset  it.  As  the  text 
of  Josephus  indicates  that  this  experiment  was  success- 
ful, Eleazer  must  have  had  recourse  to  some  clever 
deception  in  the  matter.^*  This  tale  shows  that  rings 
somewhat  similar  to  those  described  in  the  Cyrianides 
(a  work  written  in  Alexandria  about  the  third  or  fourth 
century  of  our  era)  were  used  in  the  first  century.  It 
is  true  that  Josephus  does  not  say  that  the  ring  was  set 
with  a  stone,  but  merely  states  that  it  bore  a  device. 

The  god  Mercury  was  popularly  regarded  as  a  be- 
stower  of  magic  rings,  to  judge  from  the  words  Lucian, 
the  greatest  humorist  of  ancient  times,  puts  into  the 
mouth  of  one  of  his  characters.  Timolaus,  in  "The 
Ship,"  expresses  the  wish  that  Mercury  would  grant  him 
a  number  of  wonder-working  rings ;  one  of  these  should 
preserve  his  health  and  protect  him  from  wounds  and 
other  injuries;  another  should  make  him  invisible  as  did 
the  ring  of  Gyges ;  a  third  should  give  him  the  strength 
of  ten  thousand  men;  a  fourth  was  to  give  him  the 
power  to  fly  through  the  air,  and  a  fifth,  the  power  to 
sleep  at  will,  and  the  privilege  of  seeing  all  doors  open 
before  him.  The  crowning  gift,  however,  would  be  a 
ring  possessing  the  virtue  of  attracting  the  love  of  all 
fair  women,  and  the  affection  and  respect  of  his  fellow 
men.^^  We  might  infer  from  this  that  rings  engraved 
with  the  figure  of  Mercury  were  supposed  to  be  espec- 
ially propitious;  very  possibly  the  story  of  the  magic 

Flavii  Josephi,  "Antiquitates  Judeorum,"  Basilese,  1540, 
p.  W3. 

Luciani,  "  Opera  Omnia,"  ed.  Jocobitz,  Lipsise,  1881 ; 
Navigium,  42,  43,  44. 


296 


RINGS 


rings  of  ApoUonius  of  Tyana,  later  embodied  in  the 
life  of  this  strange  personality  written  by  Philostratus, 
was  known  to  Lucian,  and  suggested  this  description 
of  the  various  and  wonderful  powers  inherent  in  rings 
of  this  kind. 

The  same  author  mentions  a  magic  ring  used  to 
frighten  away  ghosts.^^  This  was  made,  by  an  Arab, 
out  of  an  iron  nail  from  a  cross,  and  the  virtue  ascribed 
to  it  recalls  that  attributed  to  a  piece  of  wood  from  a 
gallows.  In  each  case  an  object  that  was  associated 
with  a  violent  and  ignominious  death  was  believed  to 
have  the  power  of  exorcising  unwelcome  visitants  from 
the  grave. 

The  Church  father  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  born 
about  150  A.  D.^  says,  giving  Aristotle  as  his  authority, 
that  a  certain  Execestus,  a  tyrant  of  Phocis,  owned  and 
wore  two  magic  rings,  and  by  means  of  the  stones  set 
in  these  rings  he  had  knowledge  of  future  events.  They 
seem  to  have  done  him  but  little  service,  however,  for 
he  met  his  death  by  assassination,  although  it  is  stated 
that  the  gems  gave  him  warning  of  this.^^ 

Flavins  Philostratus,  who  flourished  under  Septi- 
mius  Severus  (193-211  a.d.)  and  later,  wrote  at  the 
request  of  the  Empress  Julia  Domna,  a  remarkable 
life  of  Apollonius  of  Tyana  in  which  he  laid  special 
stress  upon  the  miracles  ascribed  to  this  pagan  saint. 
The  work  was  used  later  to  oppose  the  teachings  of 
the  Christians.  Here  we  read  that  Apollonius  pos- 
sessed seven  enchanted  rings  corresponding  to  the  seven 
planets,  the  gift  of  the  Hindu  prince  larchas.  These 
he  wore,  one  by  one,  in  the  order  of  the  week  days; 
"for  it  is  said  that  he  revered  them  as  divine,  so  that 
Philopseudos,  17. 

dementis  Alexandrini,  "  Stromata,"  lib.  i. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  297 


he  changed  them  each  day  and  made  them  partakers 
of  his  greatest  secrets." 

The  Ley  den  Papyrus  (No.  V),  of  the  third  century 
of  our  era,  contains  a  number  of  directions,  in  Greek 
and  Demotic  Egyptian,  for  the  preparation  of  amulets 
and  talismans,  and  gives  two  formulas  for  the  making 
of  magic  rings.  The  text  of  one  is  defective  in  part, 
but  can  be  rendered  as  follows : 

"  A  ring  for  constant  use  and  for  prosperity  .  .  . 
very  efficacious  for  kings  and  emperors.  Take  an  azure 
jasper,  engrave  on  it  a  dragon  in  the  form  of  a  circle, 
the  tail  in  the  mouth,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  dragon  (an 
animal)  having  two  stars  on  its  two  horns,  and  the  sun 
above  (with  the  name)  Abrasax,  and  place  as  an  inscrip- 
tion upon  the  stone  the  same  name,  Abrasax,  and  on 
the  .  .  .  engrave  the  great  and  supreme  appelation,  lao 
Sabaoth.  Wear  the  stone  in  a  gold  ring.  May  it  be 
always  useful  for  you,  existing  pure  and  ...  for  what- 
ever you  may  desire.  Consecrate  the  ring  and  the  gem 
which  projects  above  it.  The  design  upon  the  gold, 
which  has  been  described  above,  has  the  same  virtue." 

The  names  Abrasax  and  lao  Sabaoth  indicate  that 
this  ring  was  probably  designed  to  be  a  talisman  for 
adherents  of  the  Marcian  form  of  Gnosticism. 

A  second  formula  runs  thus : 

"Ring  to  obtain  (a  wish)  a  favor  and  success;  it 
renders  glorious,  great,  admirable  and  rich;  it  insures 
love.  It  is  proper  and  excellent  to  be  worn  on  all  occa- 
sions, this  incomparable  ring.    It  bears  the  wonderful 

Longi,  "  De  annulis  signatoriis  "  Francofurti  et  Lipsise, 
1709,  p.  39. 

"  Dictionnaire  d'archeologie  chretienne  et  de  liturgie,"  ed. 
by  Dom  Fernan  Cabrol,  vol.  i,  Pt.  II,  Paris,  1907,  cols,  2215, 
2216,  s.  V.  anneaux. 


298 


RINGS 


name  of  the  sun,  cut  in  a  heliotrope,  and  is  fashioned  as 
follows:  A  complete  serpent,  like  a  circle,  holding 
its  tail  in  its  mouth;  on  the  inside  is  a  scarab,  sacred 
and  radiant.  As  to  the  name,  thou  shalt  engrave  this 
in  sacred  characters  on  the  reverse  side  of  the  gem,  as 
is  taught  by  the  prophets,  and  thou  shalt  wear  the  ring 
in  all  purity.  Having  it  with  thee,  all  thy  wishes  will  be 
fulfilled ;  the  hatred  of  kings  and  emperors  toward  thee 
will  be  appeased;  when  thou  wearest  it  all  that  thou 
sayest  to  others  will  be  believed,  all  will  favor  thee,  all 
doors  will  be  open  to  thee.  Thou  wilt  rend  the  bonds 
and  break  the  stone-walls,  if  thou  takest  out  the  stone, 
that  is  the  gem,  and  pronouncest  the  name  inscribed 
beneath  it.  This  ring  is  equally  useful  for  demoniacs, 
give  it  to  them,  and  on  the  instant  the  demon  will  flee." 

Dreams  of  rings  set  with  precious  stones  have  a 
special  significance,  and  Achametis  tells  us,  from  his 
Hindu  sources,  that  if  anyone  should  dream  of  receiv- 
ing a  ring  set  with  a  red  stone,  the  splendor  of  the 
stone  signified  great  authority  and  much  joy  to  the 
dreamer.  If,  however,  a  man  had  a  dream  of  a  ring 
set  with  a  yellow  stone,  the  vision  portended  that  his 
wife  would  be  liable  to  illness  and  chagrin.^^ 

An  Anglo-Saxon  dream-book  from  the  time  before 
the  Norman  Conquest,  gives  the  significance  of  various 
dreams  about  rings.  Thus,  for  example,  merely  to 
see  a  ring  betokened  a  desired  place ;  should  one  dream 
of  receiving  a  ring  as  a  gift,  however,  this  denoted  free- 
dom from  care.  If  the  dreamer  fancied  himself  to  be  the 
owner  of  a  gold  ring,  this  indicated  that  great  honor 
was  going  to  be  his  portion.    Lastly,  the  dream  that 


^  Artemidori  Daldiani  et  Achametis  Sereini  "  Oneiro- 
critica,"  Lutitiae,  1603,  p.  259. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  299 


a  gem  had  been  lost  from  a  ring  was  a  very  bad  omen 
and  portended  some  serious  accident.^^ 

Three  subjects  of  the  Eastern  Emperor  Valens 
(364-378  A.D.),  believing  that  he  had  incurred  the  pub- 
lic hatred  to  such  a  degree  that  he  would  soon  perish 
at  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  sought  the  aid  of  the  di- 
viners Hilarius  and  Patricius  to  learn  what  would  be 
his  fate  and  who  would  succeed  him.  The  diviners, 
having  engraved  around  the  edge  of  a  basin  the  charac- 
ters of  the  Greek  alphabet,  suspended  above  it  an 
enchanted  ring,  which,  by  its  vibrations  marked  in  turn 
the  letters  that  composed  the  words  of  the  response  of 
the  oracle.  It  was  conceived  in  the  following  terms: 
"  The  successor  of  Valens  will  be  an  accomplished 
prince.  The  curiosity  of  those  who  have  consulted  the 
oracle  will  be  destruction  to  them,  but  their  murderers 
will  themselves  incur  the  vengeance  of  the  Gods."  As 
the  oracle  had  failed  to  designate  the  prince  clearly,  the 
inquirers  demanded  his  name.  Thereupon  the  ring 
struck  successively  at  the  letters  t.  h.  e.  o.  d.^  and 
one  of  those  present  exclaimed  that  the  Gods  named 
Theodore.  The  others  all  accepted  this  view  and  the 
matter  appeared  so  evident  that  no  further  attempt  at 
research  was  made.^^ 

A  curious  type  of  magic  ring  is  vouched  for  by  St. 
Augustine,  in  the  fourth  century,  who  notes  as  a  super- 
stitious practice  the  wearing  of  a  ring  (or  "  finger- 
band  "  ansula)  made  from  the  bone  of  an  ostrich.^^ 

2^  Rev.  Oswald  Cockayne,  "Anglo-Saxon  Leechdom,"  vol. 
ill,  London,  1866,  pp.  199,  215  in  "A  Book  of  Dreams 

by  the  Prophet  Daniel." 

Lebeau,  "  Histoire  du  Bas-Empire,"  livre  XIX;  vol.  iv, 
p.  307,  ed.  Desaint  et  Saillant,  Paris,  1759. 

St.  Augustine,  "  De  doctrina  christiana,"  lib.  ii,  cap.  20. 


300 


RINGS 


Whether  the  attribution  of  a  magic  quahty  resulted 
from  the  rarity  of  the  bird  for  the  Romans,  or  from 
some  analogy  with  its  habits,  is  left  to  our  imagination 
to  determine. 

A  talismanic  ring  of  the  late  Koman  times,  about 
the  fifth  century  a.d.,  was  found  by  Lieut.  Scheibel,  in 
1896,  embedded  in  sand  that  had  been  dredged  from  the 
bed  of  the  Save  River,  near  Vincovce,  Slavonia,  Aus- 
tria. The  hoop  is  divided  by  ridges  into  eleven  com- 
partments in  which  are  engraved  the  Greek  letters  z  H 
CAII  APIQN  (equivalent  to  ''Long  live  Arion  ").  This 
ring  is  in  the  Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna.^* 

Among  the  legends  which  gathered  about  the  per- 
sonality of  Charlemagne,  none  is  more  interesting  than 
that  which  tells  of  a  precious  stone  which  exercised  a 
magic  power  over  him.  This  legend  is  of  German 
origin  and  probably  localized  in  Aix-la-Chapelle ;  it 
does  not  appear  in  any  of  the  numerous  French  chan- 
sons de  geste  treating  of  Charlemagne  and  his  times. 
It  seems  to  have  originated  about  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, although  it  may  have  been  current  at  an  earlier 
date,  and  we  have  two  principle  versions,  one  given  by 
Brandwaldius,^^  and  the  other  by  Petrarch. 

The  first-named  version  describes  the  acquisition  of 
the  stone  in  much  the  same  terms  as  are  employed  in 
the  story  from  the  Gesta  Romanorum  regarding  the 
stone  brought  by  a  serpent  to  the  blind  Theodosius 


2*  Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 

2^  Scheuzeri,  "  Itinera  per  Helvetiie  alpinas  regiones,"  Lug. 
Bat.,  723,  vol.  iii,  pp.  381-383. 

2^  See  the  present  writer's  "  The  Magic  of  Jewels  and 
Charms,"  Philadelphia  and  London,  1915,  pp.  238,  239. 


Silver-gilt  ring  with  Greek  inscription  XPON02  A'ANAIPEI 
nANTA  KAI  nHOHN  AFEI  (Time  removes  all  things  and  brings 
forgetfulness).  In  the  interior  a  sun-dial.   Sixteenth  Century 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Ring  of  gilt  bronze,  set  with  a  square  table-cut  rock  crystal 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


Gold  ring.  The  hoop  has  eleven  ridges  between  which  are  the  Greek  letters 
ZH2AI2  APmN  (Long  live  Arion).  Found  by  Lieutenant  Scheibel,  in  1896,  in 
sand  dredged  from  the  bed  of  Save  River,  near  Vincovce,  Slavonia,  Austria.  Late 
Roman,  about  Fifth  Century 

Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS 


301 


indeed,  the  resemblance  is  so  close  that  one  of  these 
tales  must  be  derived  from  the  other.  Here  also  the 
serpent  rings  a  bell  outside  the  palace  gates,  and  finally 
succeeds  in  obtaining  justice  against  a  toad  which  has 
secured  possession  of  its  nest.  Grateful  for  this  service, 
the  serpent  appears  before  Charlemagne,  when  he  is 
seated  at  meat,  crawls  up  on  the  table  and,  lifting  the 
cover  of  a  beaker,  drops  therein  a  precious  stone.  From 
this  point  we  have  the  specifically  Carolingian  legend. 
The  stone  possessed  a  strange,  hidden  power,  by  means 
of  which  it  attracted  the  affections  of  the  first  owner 
to  any  one  who  subsequently  acquired  it.  Charlemagne 
gave  it  to  his  wife  and  immediately  all  his  thoughts 
became  centered  in  her.  Naturally  enough  she  in  no 
wise  objected  to  this,  but  when  she  was  taken  danger- 
ously ill  she  could  not  endure  the  thought  that  some 
other  woman  should  acquire  the  stone,  and  take  her 
place  in  Charlemagne's  heart;  therefore,  when  at  the 
point  of  death,  she  slipped  it  beneath  her  tongue  and 
soon  thereafter  expired.  The  power  of  the  charm  over 
Charlemagne's  mind  was  so  great  that  after  his  wife's 
body  had  been  interred  he  caused  it  to  be  exhumed, 
and  spent  his  days  and  nights  with  it.  This  state  of 
things  continued  for  no  less  than  eighteen  years,  until, 
finally,  one  of  Charlemagne's  ministers  discovered  the 
cause  of  the  enchantment  and  removed  the  stone  from 
beneath  the  tongue  of  the  corpse.  Instantly  the  spell 
was  broken,  but  all  the  emperor's  regard  was  now 
directed  toward  his  minister,  whose  presence  became 
indispensable  to  him.  Marking  this,  and  fearing  that 
the  gem  might  fall  into  unworthy  hands,  the  minister 
threw  it  into  a  spring,  which  chanced  to  be  that  of  Aix- 
la-Chapelle.  Even  here  the  stone  did  not  lose  its  power, 
and  the  place  became  the  favorite  resort  of  Charle- 


302 


RINGS 


magne,  who  established  himself  there  and  built  a  church 
and  a  palace  near  the  resting  place  of  the  charmed  stone. 

A  somewhat  different  version  of  this  tale  is  given  by 
Petrarch,^'  who  states  that  he  had  it  from  the  priests 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle.  There  is  here  no  mention  of  a 
serpent  bringing  a  stone,  and  the  object  of  Charle- 
magne's love  is  not  his  wife  but  a  woman  who  pos- 
sesses a  magic  ring.  The  emperor  is  so  thoroughly- 
infatuated  that  when  she  dies  he  has  the  body  decked 
out  with  gorgeous  apparel,  adorns  it  with  precious 
stones  and  refuses  to  leave  it.  Anxious  to  relieve  his 
sovereign  from  this  obsession,  the  Bishop  of  Cologne 
prays  to  God  for  a  solution  of  the  mystery,  and  is  told, 
in  a  vision,  that  the  cause  lies  beneath  the  tongue  of 
the  corpse.  He  searches  in  the  place  indicated  and 
finds  there  a  gem  set  in  a  slender  ring.  When  this  is 
removed  Charlemagne  regains  his  normal  state,  and 
gazes  with  surprise  and  horror  upon  the  object  of  his 
love.  The  story  then  proceeds  in  much  the  same  way 
as  in  the  older  German  version. 

The  remains  of  Charlemagne,  and  presumably 
whatever  ornaments  may  have  been  buried  with  him, 
were  disinterred  at  Aachen  (Aix-la-Chapelle)  in  1000, 
by  order  of  the  German  emperor  Otto  III.  The  bare 
fact  of  the  discovery  of  Charlemagne's  bones  is  recorded 
in  the  early  chronicle, but  according  to  legends  of  a 
later  time,  when  the  imperial  crypt  was  opened,  the 
emperor  was  to  be  seen  seated  on  a  marble  throne  and 
adorned  with  imperial  vesture  and  ornaments.  Such 
had  been  his  persistent  vitality  that  his  finger-nails  had 
continued  to  grow  after  his  death,  and  had  pierced 
through  the  gloves  on  his  hands.^^ 

2^  Petrarchse,  Epistolarum  libri,  Lugduni,  1601,  pp.  10,  11. 
2s  Annales  Lamberti,  in  Monum.  Germ.,  vol.  iii,  p.  91. 
2^  Monum.  Germ.  Script.,  vol.  vii,  p.  106. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  303 


The  magic  ring  of  the  Nibelungen  was  given  by 
the  Asar  Loki  to  Hreidmar,  as  wergeld  for  the  murder 
of  Hreidmar's  son  Otr,  whom  Loki  had  killed.  As 
Otr  had  assumed  the  shape  of  an  otter  when  he  met 
his  death  at  Loki's  hands,  the  latter  was  required  to 
furnish  enough  blood-ransom  to  fill  the  otter's  skin. 
This  he  obtained  by  capturing  the  dwarf  Andvari  and 
forcing  him  to  give  up  his  riches  to  ransom  his  life. 
His  other  treasures  Andvari  yielded  with  much  hesi- 
tation, but  he  was  extremely  loath  to  part  with  his  ring, 
and  when  finally  forced  so  to  do,  he  pronounced  a 
curse  upon  all  who  should  ever  come  into  possession 
of  it.  This  curse  was  fulfilled  by  the  successive  violent 
deaths  of  Hreidmar,  killed  by  his  son  Fafner  who 
wished  to  rob  him  of  his  treasure;  of  Fafner,  who  in 
the  snake  or  dragon  form  he  had  assumed  was  slain  by 
Sigurd;  of  the  hero  Sigurd  himself  and  of  Brunhilde 
upon  whom  he  bestowed  the  fatal  ring.^^  This  is  the 
legend  as  related  in  the  Volsung  Saga,  composed  in 
the  fourteenth  century  from  older  traditions. 

Caxton's  English  version  of  the  tale  of  Reynard 
the  Fox,  derived  from  the  eleventh  century  "  Roman  de 
Renard,"  contains  a  detailed  description  of  a  magic 
ring.^^ 

A  rynge  of  fyn  gold,  and  within  the  rynge  next  the  fyngre 
were  wreton  letters  enameld  wyth  sable  and  asure,  and  there 
were  thre  Hebrews  names  therein.  I  coude  not  my  self  rede 
ne  spelle  them,  for  I  understonde  not  that  langage,  but  moister 
Abrion  of  Tryer,  he  is  a  wyse  man,  he  understandeth  wel  al 

so  "The  Edda,"  by  WincheU  Faraday,  Pt.  II,  London, 
1903,  pp.  16,  17. 

The  history  of  "  Reynard  the  Fox,"  trans,  and  pub.  by 
William  Caxton,  1481 ;  ed.  by  Edmund  Goldsmid,  Edinburgh, 
1884),  vol.  ii,  pp.  55,  56.    Privately  printed. 


304 


RINGS 


maner  of  herbes  .  .  .  And  yet  he  bileveth  not  on  God,  he  is 
a  Jewe,  the  wysest  in  conynge,  and  especially  he  knoweth  the 
vertue  of  stones.  I  shewde  hym  this  ryng,  he  saide  that  they 
were  the  thre  names  that  Seth  brought  out  of  Paradys,  when 
he  brought  to  his  fadre  Adam  the  oyle  of  mercy.  And  who 
somever  bereth  on  hym  thise  thre  names,  he  shal  never  be  hurte 
by  thondre,  ne  by  lyghtnyng,  ne  no  witchecraft  shal  have 
power  over  hym,  ne  be  tempted  to  doo  synne.  And  also  he 
shall  never  take  harm  by  colde,  thaugh  he  laye  thre  wynters 
nyghtis  in  the  feelde,  thaugh  it  snowed,  stormed,  or  froze  never 
so  sore,  so  grete  myght  have  thise  wordes. 

This  wonder-working  ring  was  set  with  a  stone  "of 
three  maner  colours,"  red,  white  and  green.  The  red 
part  had  the  fabled  quality  of  the  ruby  for  "the  shynyng 
of  the  stone  made  and  gaf  as  grete  a  lyghte  as  it  had 
been  mydday."  The  white  portion  was  a  remedy  for 
diseases  of  the  eye,  for  headache,  and,  indeed,  for  al- 
most all  ills,  "sauf  only  the  very  deth,"  if  the  part 
affected  were  stroked  with  the  stone,  or,  when  the 
malady  was  internal,  if  the  patient  drank  of  water  in 
which  the  stone  had  been  placed.  The  third  color  was 
"grene  lyke  glas,"  with  some  small  spots  of  purple. 
This  procured  love  and  friendship  for  the  wearer  and 
also  victory  in  battle;  even  should  he  be  "al  naked  in 
the  felde  agayn  an  hondred  armed  men,"  he  would 
escape  with  honour.  However,  the  ring  must  only  be 
worn  by  one  of  gentle  birth. 

The  "Lapidario,"  an  astrological  treatise  on  stones, 
written  at  the  instance  of  the  Castilian  King,  Alfonso 
X,  the  Wise,  (1221-1284),  ostensibly  a  translation 
from  a  "Chaldee"  original,  but  probably  mainly  based 
on  Arabic  lore,  gives,  under  the  obscure  name  ceritiz, 
an  account  of  an  Indian  stone  found  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  of  the  same  name.    It  was  of  a  very  dark 


14: 


lt«!4  csmto  fl<!>li»  <kKw  U^mfe.<H(S>hmi 


THE  "HERMIT  STONE,"  A  TALISMAN  OF  CHASTITY 

WHEN  WORN  SET  IN  A  RING 
Lapidario  del  Rey  D.  Alfonso  X,  Codice  Original,  Madrid,  1881, 
fol.  14 


3. 


'¥11  1^1  fcitiiH^  dl[  iMll'llMlillMliliW  li  II  illii  rt^iffiiiilir 


FINDING  OF  STONE  WHICH  WHEN  SET  IN  A  RING  ASSURES  MALE  OFFSPRING 
TO  THE  WOMAN  WHO  WEARS  IT 
Lapidario  del  Rey  D.  Alfonso  X,  Codice  Original,  Madrid,  1881,  fol.  3 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  305 


green  hue,  was  exceedingly  tough  and  its  weight  is 
fixed  at  120  drachmas.  When  cleaned  and  poKshed 
it  cast  a  reflection  like  that  of  a  fine  mirror.  A  piece 
of  this  stone  set  in  a  ring  and  worn  by  a  woman  would 
assure  her  a  series  of  boy  babies. 

Another  ring-stone,  one  having  a  different  effect, 
was  that  called  the  "hermit's  stone,"  which  was  washed 
up  by  the  waves  on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea.  Its 
color  was  yellow,  transparent,  and  had  a  sheen  like 
that  of  pure  oil;  possibly  this  may  have  been  chryso- 
lite. It  was  eminently  and  rigidly  a  stone  of  chastity. 
The  lapis  lazuli  was  dedicated  to  Venus,  and  any  man 
who  wore  one  set  in  a  ring,  while  Venus  was  in  the 
ascendant,  would  attract  the  love  of  women,  especially 
of  those  with  blue-gray  eyes.  On  a  woman's  hand,  it 
had  a  corresponding  effect  upon  the  opposite  sex.^^ 

An  old  German  lay  tells  of  a  magic  gold  ring  set 
with  a  diamond.  Should  the  woman  wearing  this  ring 
prove  unfaithful  iti  love,  the  gold  turned  to  dross,  and 
the  diamond  became  glass.  The  Latin  name  of  the 
diamond,  adamas,  is  the  form  used  in  this  poem.^^  This 
word,  which  primarily  signified  an  exceedingly  hard 
metal,  finally  came  to  mean  the  diamond,  or  at  least 
what  was  believed  to  be  a  diamond,  although  it  might 
in  reality  be  only  a  colorless  corundum,  much  less  hard 
than  the  genuine  diamond,  but  harder  than  any  of  the 
other  precious  stones  except  the  colored  corundums, 
ruby,  sapphire,  etc. 

The  thirteenth  century  German  romance,  "Wolf- 
dietrich,"  celebrates  a  ring  given  by  the  empress  to 

^2 « Lapidario  del  Rey  D.  Alfonso  X,  codice  original," 
Madrid,  1881,  folios  3  recto,  col.  2;  14  recto,  col.  2;  106, 
verso,  col.  2. 

22  Mauricii  Pinder,  "De  adamante,"  Berolini,  1829,  p.  68. 
20 


306 


RINGS 


the  hero  of  the  poem.  This  ring  was  set  with  a  stone 
destined  to  double  the  strength  of  the  wearer,  and  to 
protect  him  from  the  sheets  of  flame  ejected  by  the 
fearful  dragon  he  was  about  to  combat.  However, 
before  his  encounter  with  this  fabulous  monster,  Wolf- 
dietrich  determines  to  return  the  ring,  and  sends  it  back 
to  the  empress,  whereupon  she  bursts  into  tears,  ex- 
claiming: "I  let  it  down  from  the  battlements  with  my 
own  hand.  Does  he  value  it  so  lightly,  that  he  sends 
it  back  to  me?" 

In  a  satirical  and  malicious  life  of  Pope  Boniface 
VIII  (ca.  1228-1303),  the  bitter  opponent  of  the 
French  king  Philippe  le  Bel  (1268-1314),  written  by, 
or  at  the  instance  of  his  royal  enemy,  it  is  related  that 
when  this  pope  was  dying  and  was  told  that  he  mast 
prepare  his  soul  for  the  great  change,  he  cast  his  eyes 
upon  a  stone  set  in  a  ring  he  was  wearing,  and  ex- 
claimed "  O  you  tricky  spirits  imprisoned  in  this  stone, 
why  have  you  deceived  me  to  abandon  me  now  in  my 
extremity?"  And  so  speaking  he  snatched  off  the  ring 
and  threw  it  away.^^ 

One  of  the  old  monkish  tales  from  medigeval  times, 
collected  under  the  title  of  "Gesta  Homanorum,"  runs 
as  follows: 

Frediricus,  who  reigned  in  a  Roman  city,  had  been  a  long 
time  without  offspring.  Finally,  by  the  advice  of  wise  counsel- 
lors, he  married  a  beautiful  girl  in  parts  far  distant  and  lived 
with  her  in  an  unknovm  land  and  had  offspring.  After  this,  he 
wished  to  return  to  his  realm  but  could  not  obtain  his  wife's 

"Der  grosse  Wolfdietrich,"  ed.  Holtzmann,  Heidelberg, 
1865,  pp.  243,  271. 

3^  C.  W.  King,  "Antique  Gems  and  Rings,"  London,  1872, 
p.  393 ;  citing  "La  vie,  etat  et  condition  du  pape  Maleface, 
racontes  par  des  gens  de  foi." 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  307 


consent;  indeed,  she  always  repeated  that  if  he  abandoned  her 
she  would  kill  herself.  Hearing  this,  the  emperor  caused  two 
splendid  rings  to  be  made,  and  had  engraved  upon  two  gems 
images  of  the  following  efficacy:  one  of  remembrance  and  the 
other  of  forgetfulness.  Having  set  these  in  their  appropriate 
rings  he  gave  one — that  of  forgetfulness — to  his  wife,  and  kept 
the  other  for  himself  .  .  .  The  wife  began  straightway  to 
forget  the  love  of  her  husband,  and  the  emperor,  noting  this, 
journeyed  back  to  his  realm  with  great  joy,  and  never  re- 
turned to  his  wife.    He  ended  his  life  in  peace.^^ 

Welsh  legend  offers  us  parallels  to  the  ring  of  Gyges 
and  to  that  set  with  the  "Stone  of  Remembrance"  told 
of  in  the  Gesta  Romahorum.  In  the  old  Welsh  epic, 
the  Mabinogion,  the  following  directions  are  given  by 
a  damsel  to  her  lover  in  regard  to  a  ring  of  the  former 
type:  "Take  this  ring  and  put  it  on  thy  finger  with 
the  stone  within  thy  hand ;  and  close  thy  hand  upon  the 
stone,  and  as  long  as  thou  concealest  it,  it  will  conceal 
thee."  This  Stone  of  Invisibility  was  regarded  as  one 
of  the  thirteen  rarities  of  the  ancient  British  regalia, 
formerly  treasured  up  in  Caerleon,  Monmouthshire,  and 
in  another  Welsh  legendary  cycle  (the  Triads)  it  is 
said  to  have  "liberated  Owen,  the  son  of  Urien,  from 
between  the  portcullis  and  the  wall."  Whoever  con- 
cealed the  stone  would  be  concealed  by  it.  Here  indeed 
the  similarity  with  the  story  told  of  the  ring  of  Gyges 
is  so  close  that  it  is  apparent  we  only  have  to  do  with 
an  adaptation  of  the  classic  tale.  As  to  the  stone  of 
Remembrance,  however,  the  Welsh  tradition  seems  to 
be  essentially  an  independent  one.  The  Mabinogion 
makes  Iddawe  say  to  Rhonabwy:  "Dost  thou  see  this 
ring  with  a  stone  set  in  it  upon  the  Emperor's  hand? 

"Die  Gesta  Romanorum,"  ed.  Wilhelm  Dick,  Erlangen, 
1890,  pp.  10,  11. 


308 


RINGS 


It  is  one  of  the  properties  of  that  stone  to  enable  thee 
to  remember  that  thou  seest  here  to-night,  and  hadst 
thou  not  seen  the  stone,  thou  wouldst  never  have  been 
able  to  remember  aught  thereof."  This  refers  to  a 
dream  or  vision  accorded  to  Rhonabwy  v^hiie  he  lay 
upon  an  enchanted  calf-skin.^' 

Dactylomancy,  as  it  was  called,  v^as  resorted  to  in 
the  Middle  Ages  by  those  who  sought  to  probe  the 
mysteries  of  the  future.  This  art  was  practiced  by  the 
use  of  a  ring  (sometimes  bearing  the  figure  of  one  of 
the  constellations),  which  was  suspended  by  a  thread 
in  the  middle  of  a  glass  or  metal  vessel.  The  number 
and  quality  of  the  strokes  it  made  against  the  sides 
of  the  vessel  as  it  swung  free  on  the  thread,  were  inter- 
preted by  the  magician  according  to  a  secret  formula, 
and  were  explained  by  him  to  signify  that  some  ex- 
pected or  dreaded  event  would  or  would  not  take 
place.^^ 

Among  the  Sagan  Kerens  of  southeastern  Asia 
there  is  a  curious  superstitious  use  of  a  ring  in  con- 
nection with  funeral  feasts.  On  such  occasions  a  metal 
ring  is  suspended  from  a  support  just  over  a  brass  basin. 
One  by  one  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  person  ap- 
proach and  strike  a  succession  of  quick  taps  on  the 
edge  of  the  basin  with  a  piece  of  bamboo.  When  it 
comes  to  the  turn  of  the  one  who  was  most  beloved  by 
the  departed,  the  spirit  is  believed  to  answer  the  call 
by  making  the  string  twist  about  and  lengthen,  so  that, 
finally,  it  either  parts  and  permits  the  ring  to  fall  into 

^"^  Wirt  Sikes :  "  British  Goblins :  Welsh  folk-lore,  fairy 
myths,  legends  and  traditions,"  London,  1880,  pp.  365-366. 

Pierre  Lacroix,  "  Sciences  et  Lettres  au  Moyen  Age," 
Paris,  1877,  p.  S38. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  SOO 


the  basin,  or  else  swings  and  lengthens  sufficiently  to 
cause  the  ring  to  strike  the  basin  edge.^^ 

A  magic  ring  is  introduced  by  Sir  Thomas  Malory 
in  his  "Morte  d'Arthur,"  written  in  1469  or  14<70,  the 
tale  being  of  course  borrowed  from  some  one  of  the 
numerous  sources  he  used  in  this  compilation  of  the 
story  of  King  Arthur  and  the  Knights  of  the  Round 
Table.  The  ring  was  given  by  Dame  Liness  to  Sir 
Gareth,  who  wished  to  hide  his  personality  while  com- 
peting in  a  tournament.  The  dame  assured  the  Knight 
that  this  ring  had  such  virtue  that  it  would  turn  green 
to  red,  blue  to  white,  and  vice  versa,  and  so  through 
all  the  range  of  colors.  The  lady  required,  however, 
a  solemn  promise  that  her  ring  would  be  returned  to 
her  at  the  close  of  the  tournament,  for  in  addition  to 
its  other  virtues,  it  possessed  marvellous  cosmetic 
powers,  increasing  her  beauty  to  an  extraordinary 
degree. 

In  the  tourney,  the  baffling  changes  of  color  in 
Sir  Gareth's  arms  and  equipment  confused  his  assail- 
ants and  rendered  him  more  easily  victorious  than 
he  would  otherwise  have  been,  good  knight  that  he 
was.  Having  ridden  for  a  moment  out  of  the  press 
of  knights  to  adjust  his  helmet,  which  had  become 
loosened,  a  dwarf  approached  him,  offering  a  cup  of 
wine  to  quench  the  knight's  thirst,  at  the  same  time 
asking  to  hold  the  ring  lest  Sir  Gareth  should  let  it  slip 
from  his  finger  while  drinking.  The  knight  gave  it 
to  him,  but  in  his  eagerness  to  join  again  in  the  affray, 
forgot  to  take  it  back.  But  now  his  armor  retained  its 
normal  yellow  tint,  and,  fearing  recognition,  for  it  was 
important  for  him  to  conceal  his  personality  at  this 

Mason  in  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  1865, 
Pt.  II,  p.  200 ;  Bastian,  "Oestliches  Asien,"  vol.  i,  p.  146. 


310 


RINGS 


time,  he  noted  that  his  ring  was  not  on  his  hand.  He 
quickly  sought  the  dwarf  and  obhged  him  to  surrender 
the  magic  ring.  No  sooner  was  it  on  his  finger  than 
his  armor  changed  color,  and  he  was  able  to  avoid  a 
threatened  pursuit,  as  all  were  in  search  of  the  Yellow 
Knight. 

A  ring  having  magic  power  to  protect  the  wearer 
from  danger  appears  in  the  medigeval  romance  of  Sir 
Eglamore.  The  tale  appears  to  have  been  known  to 
Shakespeare,  to  judge  from  the  line:  ''What  think'st 
thou  of  the  fair  Sir  Eglamore,"  which  occurs  in  Two 
Gentlemen  of  Verona.  This  ring  was  given  to  the 
gallant  knight  by  his  lady  love : 

Then  said  Arnada,  that  sweete  thing 
"Have  here  of  me  a  gold  ring 
With  a  precjous  stone ; 
Where-soe  you  bee  on  water  or  Land 
And  this  ring  upon  your  hand 
Nothing  may  you  slone." 

Sometimes  the  virtues  of  the  ring  are  conceived  in 
a  poetic  spirit  and  are  associated  intimately  with  the 
giver,  as  we  find  in  the  romance  of  Ywaine  and  Gawin. 
Here  the  stone  set  in  the  ring  given  by  Ywaine  pro- 
tects the  wearer  from  imprisonment,  illness,  loss  of 
blood,  and  danger  in  battle,  but  the  lady  tells  her  lover 
that  this  virtue  exists  in  the  ring  "while  you  it  have 
and  think  on  me,"  that  is,  only  so  long  as  his  love  en- 
dures.*^ 

Bishop  Percy's  Folio  Manuscript,  ed.  by  John  W.  Hales 
and  Frederick  J.  Furnivall,  London,  1868,  Vol.  II,  p.  363. 
41  Slay. 

4^  Ritson,  "  Ancient  English  Medical  Romances,"  London, 
180S,  vol.  I,  p.  65. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  311 


That  the  magic  virtues  of  the  images  and  talismans 
were  liable  to  wane  and  pass  away,  was  taught  by 
Albertus  Magnus,  who  likened  these  powers  to  those  of 
animate  objects  which  were  also  transitory.  When 
the  period  fixed  by  heaven  had  come  to  an  end,  the  power 
of  the  image  would  be  broken  and  it  would  be  useless, 
cold  and  dead.  This,  in  his  opinion,  accounted  for  the 
fact  that  many  talismanic  figures  failed  to  display  any 
efiicacy,  although  they  had  done  so  in  ancient  times.*^ 
In  the  ''Book  of  Thetel,"  as  quoted  by  Konrad  von 
Megenberg,^^  one  of  the  engraved  gems  is  described 
as  follows: 

A  man  seated  upon  a  footstool,  crowned,  and  stretching 
forth  his  hands  to  the  heavens.  Beneath  him  are  four  men 
appearing  to  support  the  stool.  Take  mastic  and  terebinth 
(turpentine)  and  put  them  under  the  stone  in  a  silver  finger- 
ring,  having  twelve  times  the  weight  of  the  stone  in  the  ring. 
If  this  be  placed  beneath  the  head  of  a  sleeping  person,  he 
dreams  of  what  he  longed  for  when  awake. 

The  curious  statement  that  the  metal  ring  was  to 
weigh  twelve  times  as  much  as  the  stone,  seems  to  in- 
dicate an  influence  of  the  superstition  in  regard  to  the 
number  twelve. 

The  Londesborough  Collection  contains  a  ring  which 
represents  a  toad  swallowing  a  serpent.  This  was  evi- 
dently used  as  an  amulet  and  the  design  seems  to  have 
some  connection  with  the  curious  superstition  that  a 
serpent,  to  become  a  dragon,  must  swallow  a  serpent. 

Jacobi  Gaffarelli,  "  Curiositates  inauditse,"  Hamburgi, 
1706,  p.  112;  Latin  trans,  citing  Alberti,  "De  mirabilibus," 
tr.  3,  cap.  3. 

Konrad  von  Megenberg,  "  Buch  der  Natur,"  ed.  by  Dr. 
Franz  Pfeiffer,  Stuttgart,  1861,  p.  472. 


RINGS 


A  Greek  proverb,  found  in  Suidas  (ab.  the  tenth  cen- 
tury A.D. ) ,  is  aptly  rendered  by  Dryden  ( Edipus,  Act 
III,  sc.  1)  as  follows: 

A  serpent  ne'er  becomes  a  flying  dragon  till  he  has  eat  a 
serpent. 

Hence  this  ring  combined  the  curative  or  talismanic 
powers  attributed  to  the  toad,  the  serpent  and  the 
dragon/^ 

The  ring  of  St.  Mark,  said  to  have  been  long  pre- 
served in  the  treasury  of  St.  Mark's  cathedral  at  Ven- 
ice, was  believed  to  have  been  acquired  in  a  miraculous 
way.  In  the  time  of  Henry  III  (1216-1272)  the  body 
of  the  saint,  which  had  been  taken  to  the  cathedral, 
was  suddenly  missed  and  no  trace  of  it  could  be  found. 
Resort  was  then  had  to  prayers  and  supplications,  and 
these  appear  to  have  been  answered,  for  one  day  the 
sacristan,  while  traversing  the  nave,  saw  an  arm  emerge 
from  one  of  the  pillars.  He  hastened  to  report  this 
wonderful  thing  to  the  Doge  and  the  cathedral  clergy, 
who  on  reaching  the  building  became  witnesses  of  the 
miracle.  As  they  were  kneeling  reverently  before  the 
column  the  hand  of  the  apparition  opened  and  let  fall 
a  ring,  which  was  picked  up  by  the  Bishop  of  Olivolo. 
At  the  same  instant,  hand  and  arm  disappeared,  and 
the  column  opened,  revealing  in  its  interior  an  iron 
casket  in  which  were  the  lost  remains  of  St.  Mark. 

Not  many  years  later  this  ring  served  to  give  proof 
of  an  appearance  of  the  saint.  One  February  day  a 
fearful  storm  arose,  piling  up  the  waters  of  the  lagoons 
and  threatening  the  destruction  of  Venice.   In  the  midst 

Catalogue  of  a  collection  of  ancient  and  mediaeval  rings 
and  personal  ornaments,  London,  1853,  p.  5.  Privately 
printed. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  313 


of  the  tempest,  a  man  approached  one  of  the  gondoHers 
on  the  Riva  dei  Schiavoni,  near  the  cathedral,  and  asked 
to  be  rowed  across  the  canal  to  San  Giorgio  Maggiore. 
It  was  in  vain  that  the  gondolier  protested  he  could  not 
make  head  against  the  storm;  he  was  at  last  forced  to 
yield  to  the  importunities  of  his  would-be  passenger. 
But  what  was  his  surprise  to  find  that  his  boat  proceeded 
as  easily  as  though  no  storm  were  raging.  On  their  arri- 
val at  San  Giorgio  Maggiore  they  were  joined  by 
another  man,  and  the  gondolier  was  now  directed  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  Lido.  This  time  his  reluctance  was  less  diffi- 
cult to  overcome,  although  the  storm  was  growing  worse, 
for  he  felt  encouraged  by  the  ease  with  which  he  had 
already  made  part  of  the  journey.  And  sure  enough  his 
long  row  to  the  Lido  was  equally  uneventful.  Here  a 
third  man  joined  the  party,  and  the  gondolier  was  told  to 
row  out  between  the  castles  on  either  side  of  the  entrance 
into  the  open  Adriatic.  Feeling  that  he  could  now  refuse 
nothing,  the  gondolier  undertook  to  accomplish  this 
apparently  impossible  task,  and  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  sea.  Here  there  arose  before  them  a  ship  manned  by 
the  demons  of  the  storm,  who  were  steering  their  way  in 
toward  Venice,  bringing  utter  destruction  with  them. 
And  now  the  three  men  in  the  little  boat  stood  up  and 
pronounced  an  exorcism  of  such  power  that  the  ship 
foundered,  and  the  demons,  howling  fearfully,  were 
swallowed  up  in  the  deep.  Immediately  the  tempest  was 
stilled  and  the  waves  died  down.  The  gondolier  was 
now  ordered  to  take  his  passengers  back  to  the  places 
where  they  embarked,  and  when  the  last  of  them,  the 
first  one  he  had  picked  up,  stepped  on  to  the  Riva  dei 
Schiavoni,  he  announced  himself  to  be  Mark,  the  Evan- 
gelist, and  dropped  a  ring  worth  five  ducats  into  the 
gondolier's  hand,  telling  him  to  show  it  to  the  authori- 


314 


RINGS 


ties  and  say  that  it  was  St.  Mark's  ring,  in  proof  of 
which  they  would  find  that  its  carefully  locked  recep- 
tacle in  the  cathedral  was  empty/ ^  This  proved  to  be 
true,  and  the  gondolier  received  a  liberal  pension  as 
a  reward  for  having  aided,  however  humbly,  in  the 
preservation  of  Venice  by  St.  Mark.^^ 

The  marvellous  ring  of  Gyges  may  have  suggested 
to  Abbot  Tritheim,  or  Trithemius,  of  Spandau  (1462- 
1516)  the  idea  of  fabricating  a  ring  which  would  give 
the  wearer  the  power  of  becoming  invisible  at  will. 
The  Abbot  asserts  that  he  had  made  such  a  ring  out  of 
the  material  called  electrum,  a  natural  alloy  of  gold 
and  silver,  having  the  color  of  amber.  To  possess  the 
requisite  power,  the  ring  must  be  cast  at  the  hour  at 
which  the  person  designing  to  use  it  was  born,  and  it 
should  be  inscribed  with  the  word  "Tetragrammaton" 
signifying  the  four  letters  composing  the  Ineffable 
Name.  When  this  ring  was  placed  upon  the  thumb  of 
the  left  hand,  the  wearer  immediately  became  invisible. 
Besides  this  virtue,  when  worn  on  any  finger,  the  ring 
preserved  the  wearer  from  poison  and  betrayed  the 
presence  of  enemies  by  changing  color.^^ 

Rings  bearing  the  Latin  inscription  "Jesus  autem 
transiens  per  medium  illorum"  (Jesus,  however,  pass- 
ing through  their  midst ),^^  were  thought  to  confer  in- 

William  Jones,  "  Credulities,  Past  and  Present,"  London, 
1880,  pp.  208-210. 

The  Venetian  artist,  Paris  Bordone  (1500-1570)  painted 
a  picture  depicting  the  gondolier  in  the  act  of  delivering  St. 
Mark's  ring  to  the  Doge. 

4«  Johannes  Tritheim's  "  Wunder-Buch,"  Passau,  1506 
(Reprint,  p.  275). 

Luke  iv,  30 :  "  But  he  passing  through  the  midst  of  them 
went  his  way."  This  refers  to  his  escape  at  Nazareth  from 
those  who  sought  to  cast  him  down  from  the  hill. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  315 


visibility  upon  the  wearer.  This  inscription  occurs  on 
the  hoop  of  a  gold  ring  set  with  an  uncut  diamond, 
shown  at  the  Special  Exhibition  at  the  South  Kensing- 
ton Museum,  June,  1862. 

This  motto,  "Jesus  autem  transiens,"  etc.,  was  in 
medieval  times  regarded  as  a  great  charm  against  the 
dangers  that  menaced  a  traveller  on  his  journeys.  In 
his  quaint  old  English,  Sir  John  Mandeville  says  of 
this  that  these  words  were  sometimes  pronounced  by 
"some  men  when  thei  dreden  them  of  thefes  on  any  way. 
or  of  enemyes,  in  token  and  mynde  that  our  Lord 
passed  through  out  of  the  Jews'  crueltie  and  scaped 
safely  fro  hem."  On  the  gold  noble  which  Edward 
III  had  struck  in  commemoration  of  his  victory  in  the 
naval  battle  of  Helvoet  Sluys  in  1340,  and  of  his 
escape  from  the  perils  he  underwent  therein,  this  motto 
appears  as  the  legend.^^ 

Lambeccius  narrates  that  he  once  told  Emperor 
Leopold  I  (1657-1675)  of  a  magic  gold  ring,  said  to 
have  been  long  preserved  in  the  Austrian  treasury,  and 
whose  special  virtue  was  that  it  could  be  used  as  an 
oracle  to  foretell  the  results  of  an  approaching  battle. 
If  victory  was  to  crown  the  Austrian  army,  this  ring 
would  shine  with  an  unwonted  splendor.  It  was  said 
to  be  made  from  the  gold  offered  by  the  Magi  to  the 
Infant  Jesus.  While,  however,  sacred  ceremonies  were 
being  performed  before  the  Emperor  Frederick,  grand- 
son of  Rudolph  I.,  just  before  his  departure  for  a  dis- 
astrous battle  with  Louis  of  Bavaria,  the  ring  vanished 
from  the  eyes  of  man.   Later,  it  was  said  to  have  been 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediasval  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  138,  Nos.  877, 
878,  879 ;  see  Plate  XV. 


316 


RINGS 


recovered  and  Lambeccius  suggested  that  a  ring  he  had 
recently  observed  in  the  treasury,  bearing  certain  char- 
acters difficult  of  interpretation,  might  be  the  ring 
made  from  the  offering  of  the  Magi.^^  The  omen  of 
victory  observable  in  this  ring  must  have  been  suggested 
by  v^hat  Josephus  writes  of  the  high-priest's  breast- 
plate. According  to  his  story  "  God  announced  victory 
in  battle  "  by  means  of  the  twelve  stones  set  in  this 
breast-plate,  and  he  proceeds  "  such  a  splendour  shone 
from  them  when  the  army  was  not  yet  in  motion,  that  all 
the  people  knew  God  himself  was  present  to  aid  them." 

A  magic  ring  was  made  in  the  seventeenth  century 
by  a  Florentine  monk,  named  Nicolaus;  this  was  de- 
signed to  drive  away  gnats.  It  bore  a  charmed  figure 
executed  during  the  ascendency  of  the  planet  Saturn. 
The  charm  is  said  to  have  worked  successfully.  Since 
Saturn  was  usually  regarded  as  a  bearer  of  ill-luck, 
the  operation  of  the  magic  figure  must  have  depended 
upon  sympathetic  magic,  the  enlisting  of  the  help  of  an 
evil  power  to  combat  a  nature-plague.^^ 

It  is  related  that  long  ago  in  the  Principality  of 
Anhalt,  a  princess  had  the  habit  of  going  to  the  window 
after  dinner  and  shaking  out  the  crumbs  from  her 
napkin.  Intention  or  chance  induced  a  great  toad  to 
station  itself  under  this  window  so  as  to  eat  up  the  prec- 
ious crumbs.  In  due  time  the  princess  was  wedded, 
and  one  night,  shortly  before  the  birth  of  a  child,  she 
saw  a  maid  enter  the  room  with  a  lighted  candle  in  her 
hand.  Approaching  the  bedside  she  handed  a  gold  ring 
to  the  princess,  telling  her  at  the  same  time  that  it  was 

Petri  Lambeccii,  "De  Augustissima  Bibliotheca  Caesarea" 
Vindobonae,  1665,  p.  S8. 

Jacobi  Gaffarelli,  "  Curiositates  inauditae,"  Hamburgi, 
1706,  p.  118;  Latin  trans. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  317 


sent  by  the  toad,  out  of  gratitude  for  the  food  she  had 
given  it,  with  the  earnest  warning  to  guard  the  ring 
carefully,  as  the  fortunes  of  Anhalt  were  bound  up 
with  it.  Moreover,  every  precaution  was  to  be  taken  on 
Christmas  Eve  to  guard  against  fire.^^  It  is  stated  that 
this  ring  was  still  to  be  seen  in  Dessau  in  1722,  and 
that  it  was  customary  to  put  out  all  the  fires  in  the 
palace  on  Christmas  Eve,  and  to  have  watchmen  patrol 
the  building  all  through  the  night.^^ 

A  luminous  ring  is  poetically  described  in  Titus 
Andronicus,  a  play  somewhat  doubtfully  attributed  to 
Shakespeare  who  probably  merely  revised  and  em- 
bellished, in  or  about  1590,  an  original  from  some  other 
hand.  In  any  case,  the  lines  referring  to  the  luminous 
stone  are  highly  expressive.  After  the  murder  of  Bas- 
sianus,  Martins  searches  in  the  depths  of  a  dark  pit  for 
the  dead  body  and  suddenly  cries  out  to  his  companion, 
Quintus,  that  he  has  discovered  the  bloody  corpse.  As 
the  interior  of  the  pit  is  pitch-dark,  Quintus  can  scarcely 
believe  what  he  hears,  and  asks  Martins  how  the  latter 
could  possibly  see  what  he  has  described.  The  an- 
swer is  given  in  the  following  lines: 

Martius,    Upon  his  bloody  finger  he  doth  wear 

A  precious  ring,  that  lightens  all  the  hole, 
Which  like  a  taper  in  some  monument. 
Doth  shine  upon  the  dead  man's  earthy  cheek. 
And  show  the  ragged  entrails  of  this  pit. 

Titus  Andronicus,  Act  II,  Sc.  4. 

For  the  superstitious  among  certain  Oriental  peoples 

53  William  Jones,  "  Credulities  Past  and  Present,"  London, 
1880,  p.  211. 

Citing  Beckmann,  "  Geschichte  des  Fiirstentums  Anhalt," 
Dessau,  1722. 


318 


RINGS 


any  injury  to  an  amulet-ring  was  looked  upon  as  a 
sure  presage  of  coming  misfortune.  It  is  related  of  a 
Turk  in  the  town  of  Jablanica,  Bosnia,  that  having  brok- 
en his  amulet-ring,  he  started  out  forthwith  on  an  ar- 
duous ten-hours'  journey  to  Mostar,  the  nearest  place 
where  his  ring  could  be  repaired,  and  he  no  doubt  pur- 
sued his  way  in  fear  and  trembling  lest  the  threatened 
ill-fortune  should  befall  him  ere  he  reached  the  gold- 
smith who  could  mend  his  ring  and  thus  restore  its 
virtue.^^  In  the  National  Hungarian  Museum  at  Buda- 
pest is  a  silver  ring  set  with  a  carnelian,  on  which  are 
engraved  Oriental  characters.  This  was  found,  in  1812, 
in  the  garden  of  the  royal  palace  at  Budapest.  Kings 
of  a  similar  kind  are  often  worn  by  Turks  and  Arabs, 
and  are  greatly  valued  as  talismans,  as  they  are  be- 
lieved to  afford  the  wearers  protection  in  battle,  in  the 
chase,  and  when  indulging  in  dissipation.^^ 

The  ring  with  its  smooth  circle,  having  neither  be- 
ginning nor  end,  is  a  fit  symbol  of  eternity,  and  is  often 
figured  in  this  connection ;  and  yet  its  material  substance 
is  transitory.  This  aspect  is  illustrated  by  the  Eastern 
story  that  a  wise  man  and  favorite  of  a  king  once  gave 
him  a  ring  on  which  was  the  inscription:  "  Even  this 
shall  pass  away."  In  bestowing  it  upon  the  king,  the 
sage  said:  "  When  in  dire  distress  your  soul  is  weighed 
down  with  trouble,  look  at  this  ring !  When  in  the  midst 
of  festivities,  joy  and  wild  hilarity,  look  at  this  ring! 
Even  this  shall  pass  awayf 

55  William  Jones,  "  Credulities  Past  and  Present,"  London, 
1880,  p.  177. 

"  Cimeliotheca  Musei  Nationalis  Hungarici,"  Budae,  1825, 

p.  55. 

^"^  Communicated  by  Mr.  George  Osborn. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  319 


In  an  illustrated  work  on  ancient  jades,  in  two 
quarto  volumes,  published  in  1889  by  the  well-known 
scholar  and  statesman,  Wu  Ta-cheng  (b.  1833),  this 
writer  conjectures  that  archer's  rings  of  white  jade  were 
reserved  for  the  emperor's  use.  At  the  present  day 
rings  of  this  type  are  made  in  Peking  from  the  antler 
of  a  species  of  elk.  The  Catholic  missionary,  Father  Zi, 
states  that  the  rings  most  highly  valued  are  those  made 
out  of  jade  of  the  Han  period  {Han  yil),  of  a  white 
gray  with  red  veining  and  green  stripes.  Rings  found 
in  the  graves  of  students  who  have  passed  the  military 
examinations  are  of  reddish  hue,  and  the  opinion  pre- 
vails that  they  afford  protection  against  malevolent 
spirits.^^ 

In  the  symbolism  of  the  ring,  the  complete  circle 
is  regarded  by  the  Chinese  as  denoting  the  combination 
of  all  divine  principles,  as  these  are  supposed  to  move 
in  an  everlasting  and  unbroken  circle,  having  neither 
beginning  nor  end.  An  evil  significance,  however,  at- 
taches to  an  incomplete  or  half-ring,  called  kiiehj,  a 
sound  that  means  "  to  cut  off,  to  slay;  to  pass  sentence; 
to  decide,  to  settle."  An  early  instance  of  the  use  of 
such  a  ring  to  signify  banishment  is  related  of  the  Prince 
Shen-sheng  whose  father  sent  him  on  a  fatal  military 
expedition  in  659  b.c.^  at  the  instigation  of  one  of  his 
concubines.  This  ring,  which  was  attached  to  a  girdle, 
was  equivalent  to  a  formal  decree  that  the  prince  was 
cast  off  and  should  never  return.  In  consequence  of  the 
ambiguity  of  Chinese  spoken  and  written  words,  a  half- 
ring  or  at  least  one  not  describing  a  closed  circle  is  said 
to  have  been  worn  at  one  time  by  Chinese  scholars,  be- 
cause one  of  the  meanings  of  the  sound  kileh  is  "  to  de- 

Berthold  Laufer,  "  Jade,  a  Study  in  Chinese  Archseologj 
and  Religion,"  Chicago,  191^,  pp.  284,  285. 


320 


RINGS 


cide,"  as  has  been  noted  above.^^  The  Chinese  writer 
Pan  Ku  (d.  92  a.d.)  says  that  those  who  cultivated 
moral  conduct  without  end,  wore  a  complete  ring  sus- 
pended from  the  girdle,  while  those  able  to  decide  ques- 
tions of  aversion  and  doubt,  wore  half-rings,  this  being 
again  a  symbolic  use  of  the  double  meaning  of  kueh. 

As  the  Chinese  word  signifying  "  a  jade-ring  "  has 
the  same  sound  {huan)  as  the  word  meaning  "  to  re- 
turn, to  repay,"  and  is  expressed  with  the  same  pho- 
netic symbol,  the  sending  of  such  a  ring  by  an  emperor 
to  an  exiled  official  was  a  symbolic  summons  for  the 
official  to  return.  However,  a  jade-ring  could  also  be  a 
signal  for  besieging  a  city,  since  the  syllable  huan  can 
mean  "  an  enclosing  wall."  As  an  illustration,  the 
word  "ring,"  a  ring;  and  "ring,"  imperative  of  "to 
ring,"  might  make  the  sending  of  a  ring  to  a  bell-ringer 
signify  that  he  should  let  his  bells  peal  forth. 

Quite  a  number  of  finely-executed  gold  rings,  with 
or  without  settings,  as  well  as  other  pieces  of  jewelry, 
are  made  by  Chinese  goldsmiths  in  San  Francisco.  Sil- 
ver is  never  used.  Seal  rings  are  occasionally  made;  the 
favorite  setting  is  jade,  next  to  which  comes  the  opal; 
diamonds  are  also  used  for  this  purpose.  No  wedding 
rings  are  given,  although  the  bestowal  of  a  ring  as  a 
gift  is  highly  appreciated.  The  prices  range  from  $6 
for  a  plain  gold  ring  to  from  $20  to  $200  for  one  of 
mandarin-style,  set  with  a  piece  of  jade.  Sometimes 
short  inscriptions  are  engraved  on  rings,  such  as  "  Long 

Berthold  Lauf er,  "  J ade,  a  Study  in  Chinese  Archaeology 
and  Religion,"  Chicago,  1912,  pp.  210,  211;  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  Pub.  154,  Anthropological  Series,  Vol.  X, 
citing  A.  Conrady  in  preface  to  Stentz,  "  Beitrage  zur  Volks- 
kunde  Siid-Schantung's,"  p.  10. 


MODERN  CHINESE  RINGS 


Inset  ring  stones.  1,  moss  agate  in  dark  gray  jasper; 
2,  garnet  in  chalcedony;  3,  almandine  garnet  in  brownish  chal- 
cedony; 4,  aquamarine  in  red  jasper;  5,  sardonyx;  6,  topaz  in 
lapis-lazuli;  7,  banded  agate.  Part  of  a  collection  of  rings  that 
all  fit  in  one  setting.   See  page  65 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History 


Spiral  brass  rings  made  in  the  Philippine  Islands 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  York  City 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  321 


Life,"  or  "  Beautiful."  In  the  plate  representing  the 
interior  of  a  Chinese  jeweller's  shop  in  San  Francisco, 
the  proprietor  of  the  place  is  shown  seated  in  the  back- 
ground. None  of  the  artisans,  however,  were  willing 
to  face  the  camera,  either  from  superstitious  dread  of 
having  their  pictures  taken,  or  perhaps  through  fear  of 
being  molested  in  some  way  by  the  Government. 

When  the  nine  gems  of  the  great  Hindu  charm,  the 
naoratna,  are  set  in  rings,  the  Burmese  usage  is  to  place 
the  ruby  in  the  centre,  and  group  around  it  the  eight 
other  stones.  Rings  of  this  description  were  worn  by 
Burmese  kings  and  nobles  as  preventives  of  disease  or 
danger.  Sometimes  an  incantation  is  recited  over  these 
nine  stones,  which  are  then  immersed  in  water,  the 
belief  being  that  whoever  drinks  of  this  water  will 
secure  immunity  from  all  evil.^^ 

In  the  masterpiece  of  Hindu  dramatic  literature,  the 
Qakuntala  of  the  poet  Kalidasa,  written  about  the  sixth 
century  of  our  era,  a  ring  plays  a  most  important  part. 
The  heroine,  the  daughter  of  the  nymph  Menaka  and 
the  sage  Vi9vamitra,  has  had  it  foretold  to  her  that  the 
man  who  loves  and  marries  her  will  entirely  forget  her, 
until  his  love  and  memory  are  revived  by  a  ring.  In  due 
time  she  is  beloved  of  the  King  Dushyanta,  who  marries 
her,  but  soon  leaves  her,  to  return  to  his  court.  When  she 
follows  him  thither  he  fails  to  recognize  her.  Thereupon 
she  remembers  what  had  been  predicted  in  regard  to  a 
ring,  but  finds  to  her  dismay  that  the  one  the  King  gave 
her  has  been  lost.  In  the  next  act  of  the  play  a  fisher- 
man is  dragged  in  by  guards  who  charge  him  with  hav- 

Communicated  through  Prof.  Austin  F.  Rogers,  Leland 
Stanford  University,  by  Mr.  Wah  S.  Lee. 

Personal  communication  from  Kien  Taw  Sein  Ko,  of  Ran- 
goon, Burma. 
21 


322 


RINGS 


ing  in  his  possession  the  royal  signet-ring  and  with  hav- 
ing invented  the  tale  that  he  found  it  inside  a  fish.  The 
king,  however,  admits  the  truth  of  the  story,  rewards  the 
fisherman,  and  gladly  receives  the  ring.  As  soon  as  he 
places  it  on  his  finger  he  recognizes  his  bride  and  his  love 
for  her  is  renewed.^^ 

The  Khedive  Tewfik  Pasha  related,  about  1880, 
his  experience  with  a  certain  Ahmed  Agha,  a  Turk, 
who  possessed  a  magic  ring.  It  was  a  plain  hoop  of 
gold  set  with  a  red  stone  (probably  a  carnelian),  and 
was  said  to  have  come  from  Mecca.  The  Turk 
claimed  that  by  its  help  visions  could  be  seen,  and  the 
Khedive  consented  to  make  a  test  of  the  ring's  virtue. 
Ahmed  said  that  he  required  for  the  experiment  the 
assistance  of  a  child  under  ten  years  of  age,  whereupon 
the  Khedive  summoned  a  little  girl  from  the  harem  to 
act  as  assistant,  or  we  might  rather  say  principal.  The 
Turk  attached  to  this  girl's  head  a  silver  plate  on 
which  a  verse  of  the  Koran  was  engraved,  and  placed 
in  her  hand  the  mystic  ring  with  the  red  stone  which, 
he  declared,  would  change  from  red  to  white  if  the  ex- 
periment was  to  be  successful.  A  few  moments  after 
the  preparation  had  been  made,  the  girl  cried  out:  "The 
stone  has  changed  to  white."  Hereupon  the  Khedive 
asked  her  to  describe  a  number  of  persons  she  had  never 
seen,  and  she  invariably  gave  correct  answers.  Tewfik 
was  so  much  impressed  by  the  experiment  that  he  ex- 
claimed: 'T  can  believe  it,  and  yet  I  cannot  understand 
it."  A  few  days  later  he  sent  word  to  the  Turk  that 
he  wished  to  borrow  the  ring,  but  the  man  besought  him 
not  to  take  it  away.  An  offer  of  £100  from  a  court 
noble  was  also  refused.   Finally,  Ahmed  was  summoned 

Arthur  A.  Macdonel,  "  A  History  of  Sanskrit  Litera- 
ture," New  York,  1914,  pp.  354-358. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  323 


to  the  court  and  the  Khedive  again  urged  him  to  sur- 
render the  ring,  but  when  he  repeated  his  prayers  that 
it  should  not  be  taken  from  him  the  Khedive  lost  pa- 
tience and  said  to  him:  "You  are  mistaken  in  thinking 
that  I  believe  in  the  power  of  your  ring  or  in  things 
of  that  kind.  I  wish  you  good  morning."  Poor  Ahmed 
was  only  too  glad  to  get  off  so  easily  and  he  left  Cairo 
never  to  return  there.^* 

In  this  case,  as  in  many  others,  a  change  of  color 
is  asserted  to  take  place  in  the  stone,  an  indication  that 
the  mineral  substance  responds  to  some  impression  from 
without.  It  is  as  though  part  of  the  virtue  of  the  stone 
had  left  it,  for  with  a  colored  stone  we  might  say,  in 
a  poetic  sense,  that  its  color  is  its  life  and  soul.  Hence 
in  this  particular  instance  the  loss  of  color  was  probably 
thought  to  indicate  that  some  in-dwelling  spirit  had 
passed  from  the  stone  to  the  little  girl  and  dictated  her 
responses ;  possibly  if  the  ring  were  arranged  with  some 
mechanical  or  hollow  space  a  colored  foil  could  be 
pressed  under  the  white  stone,  or  a  liquid  passed  under 
it,  giving  the  delusion  of  the  change  from  white  to  red 
and  red  to  white. 

In  Scandinavia,  carnelians  were  used  as  ring-stones 
in  very  early  times ;  a  fine  specimen  of  such  a  ring  was 
found  in  Ysted,  in  the  province  of  Scania,  and  another 
at  Verdalen,  Norway.  That  these  were  credited  with 
power  as  amulets  seems  highly  probable,  for  some  of 
the  early  Norse  rings  were  so  highly  valued  by  their 
owners  that  they  were  designated  by  individual  names. 
Thus  we  are  told  of  a  gold  ring  named  Hnited,  "The 
Welded,"  which  was  given  as  a  precious  gift  by  Ulf  the 
Red  to  King  Olaf.    This  particular  ring  was  welded 

Butler,  "  Court  Life  in  Egypt,"  London,  1880,  pp.  ^38- 


324 


RINGS 


together  from  seven  pieces  of  exceptionally  pure  gold, 
the  number  of  pieces  evidently  having  a  mystic  signifi- 
cance.^^ 

There  is  or  was  a  superstition  among  the  Swedish 
Lapps  that  at  times,  on  the  lonely  moorlands,  might 
be  seen  visionary  herds  of  reindeer,  packs  of  dogs,  or 
even  apparitions  having  the  form  of  Laplanders. 
When  one  who  sees  any  such  objects  goes  in  pursuit 
of  them,  they  disappear  before  they  can  be  reached; 
if,  however,  while  they  are  still  visible  a  steel  or  brass 
ring  is  thrown  at  them,  they  immediately  become  real 
living  creatures.  Popular  legend  even  has  to  tell  of  men 
or  women  who  in  this  way  have  secured  wives  or  hus- 
bands, respectively,  in  reality  changelings,  trolls,  ap- 
parently or  really  transformed  into  human  beings.^^ 

An  onyx  ring  is  made  the  cause  of  a  series  of  won- 
derful transmigrations  in  an  old-fashioned  tale  written 
about  1840  by  John  Sterling,  of  whom  Thomas  Car- 
lyle  has  left  us  a  most  interesting  biography.^"^  In  this 
story,  the  hero,  a  young  barrister  discouraged  in  his 
profession  and  disappointed  in  love,  finds  himself  one 
night  in  an  exceptionally  depressed  frame  of  mind. 
Opening,  at  chance,  an  old  necromantic  work,  he  is 
fascinated,  perhaps  hypnotized,  by  the  vaguely  mystic 
sentences,  and  is  scarcely  astonished  to  perceive,  stand- 
ing before  him  in  his  deserted  room,  what  appears  to 
be  the  figure  of  an  aged  man,  who  in  the  most-approved 
magician  fashion  offers  him  an  onyx  ring,  engraved 

^^Du  Chaillu,  "The  Viking  Age,"  New  York,  1889,  vol. 
ii,  pp.  310, 

Torsten  Kolmodin,  "  Lapparne  och  deres  Land:  Skild- 
ringar  och  Studier,"  Stockholm,  1914^,  Pt.  Ill,  p.  30. 

^^John  Sterling,  "The  Onyx  Ring,''  Boston,  1850,  xxii 
263  pp.  8  vo. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  325 


with  the  head  of  ApoUonius  of  Tyana,  and  of  such 
virtue  that  if  he  puts  it  on  the  forefinger  of  his  right 
hand,  he  will  be  able  to  transfer  himself  into  the  body 
of  any  existing  personage.  His  identification  with  the 
new  personality  will  indeed  be  so  complete,  that  his  old 
existence  will  be  entirely  forgotten.  This  is  to  last  for 
a  week,  at  the  expiration  of  which  his  memory  will  sud- 
dently  be  revived  for  a  short  time,  and  he  will  have  the 
choice  to  remain  as  he  is,  to  change  his  fleshly  taber- 
nacle again,  or  to  return  to  his  own  body.  In  the  last- 
named  case,  however,  his  special  power  will  be  taken 
from  him,  and  he  must  continue  in  his  own  form. 

The  offer  is  accepted  and  a  series  of  transmigra- 
tions begins,  in  the  course  of  which  the  hero  becomes  in 
turn  a  baronet,  a  farmer,  a  traveler,  a  divine,  a  poet, 
a  political  reformer  and  an  old  basket-maker.  In  this 
last  avatar  he  is  involuntarily  forced  to  return  to  his 
own  body,  for  the  basket-maker  dies  before  the  week  is 
up.  The  various  characters  through  whose  lives  he 
passes  belong  to  his  immediate  neighborhood,  and  the 
slight  plot  of  the  stoiy  can  thus  be  carried  forward 
without  interruption.  When  at  last  the  barrister  comes 
to  himself,  he  has  just  recovered  from  a  long  period 
of  unconsciousness,  and  there  is  a  little  intentional  un- 
certainty whether  the  vision  and  its  consequences 
really  took  place,  or  were  only  the  products  of  a  fev- 
ered mind.  Among  the  old  basket-maker's  effects  is 
found  an  onyx  ring  enclosed  in  an  old  box  and  en- 
graved with  a  man's  head. 

The  greater  part  of  the  splendid  precious  stones  in 
the  collection  of  the  English  banker  Henry  Philip  Hope 
were  set  in  rings.  One  of  the  finest  and  most  inter- 
esting of  these  gems  was  the  beautiful  sapphire  often 
called  "  Le  Saphire  Merveilleux,"  the  title  of  a  story 


326 


RINGS 


written  by  Mme.  de  Genlis,  who  had  seen  the  stone 
when  it  formed  part  of  the  collection  of  the  Duke 
of  Orleans.  Its  peculiar  charm  is  that  its  color  changes 
when  seen  by  artificial  light.  In  daylight  it  is  a  beau- 
tiful sapphire  blue,  but  by  candle  light,  or  other  yellow 
light  it  acquires  an  amethystine  hue.^^  This  fine  sap- 
phire, interesting  both  for  its  rare  dichroism  and  its 
historic  associations,  was  sold  about  1898  for  £700 
($3500).  It  weighs  19J^  metric  carats.  Another  at- 
tractive gem  in  the  Hope  Collection  is  a  cabochon-cut 
amethyst,  engraved  in  intaglio  with  the  figure  of  a 
Bacchante  carrying  a  thyrsus.  At  the  back  of  the 
stone  are  two  strata  of  different  colors,  one  a  whitish 
gray,  the  other  showing  brown  spots  on  a  velvet  ground. 
This  peculiarity  has  been  skilfully  utilized  by  the  en- 
graver, who  has  cut  on  the  stone  the  form  of  a  panther 
in  relief.^' 

The  so-called  "  Pennsylvania  Dutch,"  largely  Ger- 
mans from  the  southern  parts  of  Germany,  made,  in 
the  early  days,  rings  out  of  horse-shoe  nails.'^^  The  good- 
luck  supposed  to  be  inherent  in  the  horse-shoe  was  prob- 
ably believed  to  extend  to  the  detachable  nails  also,  so 
that  these  rings  might  have  been  looked  upon  as  endowed 
with  magic  or  talismanic  virtue. 

Lord  Bacon  (1561-1626)  in  his  "Sylva  Sylvarum," 
published  in  1626,  suggests  a  curious  test  of  telepathy. 
This  is  that  two  parties  to  an  agreement  or  contract, 
should  exchange  rings,  each  wearing  the  other's  ring, 

^®  Catalogue  of  the  Collection  formed  by  Henry  Philip  Hope 
Esq.,  arranged  and  described  by  B.  Herz,  London,  1839,  6  + 
112  p.,  42  pL,  folio;  see  p.  38,  No.  3.    Plate  XI. 

69  Ibid.,  p.  86,  No.  5. 

'^^  Communicated  by  the  Rev.  John  Baer  Stoudt,  of  North- 
ampton, Pa. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  327 


and  they  are  then  to  note  whether,  in  case  the  contract 
or  promise  should  be  broken  by  one  of  the  parties,  the 
other  would  become  sensible  of  this  by  means  of  an  in- 
fluence transmitted  through  the  ring.  He  adds  that  it 
has  been  regarded  as  a  help  to  the  continuance  of  love 
to  wear  a  ring  or  a  bracelet  of  the  loved  one,  but  he 
believes  that  "this  may  proceed  from  exciting  the  mag- 
netism, which,  perhaps,  a  glove,  or  other  like  favour, 
might  do  as  well." 

The  peculiar  inherent  virtue  of  a  ring  given  by, 
or  exchanged  with,  a  loved  person,  renders  it  far  more 
prized  than  a  merely  beautiful  or  costly  ring.  While 
we  may  regard  as  superstition  any  fancy  that  the  ma- 
terial ring  possesses  any  magic  quality,  that  lent  to 
it  by  association  or  by  memory  is  none  the  less  real 
though  it  is  only  in  the  brain  or  heart  of  the  wearer. 
The  effect  of  this  association  of  a  ring  or  other  jewel 
with  a  person  is  also  to  be  seen  in  the  case  of  rings  be- 
stowed by  royal  personages  as  tokens  of  gratitude  or 
favor.  In  olden  times  they  were  often  regarded  as 
amulets  and  believed  to  transfer  something  of  the  power 
or  genius  of  the  bestower  to  the  recipient.  Indeed  the 
qualities  were  conceived  to  have  embodied  themselves 
in  the  ornament,  which  was  therefore  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation  as  a  precious  heritage, 
one  sure  to  bring  good  fortune  to  the  wearer.  In  the 
case  of  lovers  the  token  served  as  a  connecting  link, 
transmitting  and  transfusing  the  love  sentiment.^  ^ 

Besides  the  zodiacal,  or  natal  rings,  there  were  also 
made  in  mediseval  times  a  number  of  planetary  rings, 
the  metal  supposed  to  be  especially  under  the  guard- 
ianship of  the  Sun,  Moon  or  five  planets  known  to  the 

'^^  Jacobi  Wolfii,  "  Curiosus  amuletorum  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  &  Lipsiae,  1692,  pp.  660,  661. 


328 


RINGS 


ancient  world,  being  in  each  case  chosen  as  the  mate- 
rial for  the  ring  of  the  special  planet.  These  rings  were 
frequently  set  with  the  precious  stone  assigned  to  the 
planet,  and  thus  a  series  was  obtained  of  seven  rings, 
each  of  a  different  metal  and  set  with  a  different  stone. 
The  sun-ring  was  of  gold  with  diamond  or  sapphire; 
the  silver  moon-ring  bore  a  rock  crystal  or  a  moonstone ; 
the  ring  of  Mars  was  of  iron  set  with  an  emerald;  for 
Mercury,  the  ring  was  of  quicksilver  and  bore  a  piece 
of  magnetic  iron;  Jupiter's  was  of  tin,  the  setting  be- 
ing a  camelian;  copper  was,  of  course,  the  material  of 
the  Venus-ring  {cyprium,  copper,  being  sacred  to  the 
Cyprian  goddess),  and  the  stone  was  an  amethyst; 
lastly,  the  Saturnian  ring  was  of  lead  and  had  for  setting 
a  turquoise. 

Some  of  the  appropriate  rings  and  stones  to  be  worn 
by  those  who  hope  to  attract  to  themselves  the  favorable 
influences  of  Sun,  Moon,  and  planets,  are  given  in  the 
Syro-Arabic  work  of  the  eighth  or  ninth  century  on  the 
mystic  potencies  of  stones,  put  forth  under  the  name  of 
Ai^istotle.  For  the  Sun  the  stone  is  rock  crystal,  which 
must  be  set  in  a  gold  ring;  Mercury's  influence  is  se- 
cured by  wearing  a  piece  of  magnetite  in  an  electrum 
setting,  and  for  those  wishing  the  help  of  the  Moon, 
one  of  the  varieties  of  onyx  is  recommended,  silver  being 
the  metal  in  which  it  is  to  be  set.^^ 

For  some  reason  or  other  zodiac  rings,  that  is  rings 
bearing  zodiacal  symbols,  seem  to  be  especially  favored 
by  the  modern  goldsmiths  of  the  Portuguese  island 
Madeira.  Occasionally  a  ring  of  this  type  from  earlier 
times  may  be  seen  there;  one  of  these,  of  crude  work- 
manship and  much  the  worse  for  wear,  has  been  attrib- 

Julius  Ruska,  "  Das  Stienbuch  des  Aristoteles,"  Heid- 
eiburg,  1912,  p.  6. 


GOLD  ZODIAC  RING,  PROBABLY  MADE  ON  THE  WEST 
COAST  OF  AFRICA  IN  THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY 
British  Museum 


ZODIACAL   RING   OF   SILVER;    FOUR   VIEWS.      SET   WITH  AN 
ENGRAVED  ONYX.      ON   THE   SIDES    ARE    CHASED  THE 
SIGNS  LEO  AND  CANCER,  AND    THE    SHOULDERS  OF  THE 
HOOP  ARE  INLAID  WITH  BRASS  AND  IRON,  RESPECTIVELY 
Goriaeus,  Dactyliotheca,  Delphis  Bat.,  1601 


Amulet  ring  of  Twelfth  Century, 
engraved  with  cabalistic  characters 
Edwards'   "History  and   Poetry  of 
Finger  Rings" 


^ ZARA.'XAi-PE  z e ve L>  I 


Talismanic  ring,    with    cabalistic  Rings  inscribed  with  names  of  Three 

inscription.     Found  on  coast  of  Gla-  Kings,  or  Magi :  Melchior,  Jasper  and 

morganshire,  Wales  Balthazar.    Worn  as  talismanic  rings 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  toad  swallowing  a  serpent;  2,  loadstone  with  embossed  figure  of  toad;  3,  massive  thumb-ring  set  with  teeth 

of  an  animal 
Londesborough  Collection 
Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


1,  talismanic  ring  that  opens  when  the  stone  setting  (ruby  and  amethyst)  is  pressed  down,  releasing  a 
spring.  Hoop  inscribed  with  names  of  spirits  and  magic  signs;  2,  ring  set  with  a  ruby;  3,  gold  enameled  ring 
said  to  have  belonged  to  Frederick  the  Great 

Fairholt's  "Rambles  of  an  Artist" 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  329 


uted  to  the  time  of  a  twelfth-century  duke  of  Burgundy, 
whose  crusading  expedition  did  not  extend  much  beyond 
the  frontiers  of  Portugal/^  More  than  likely  Moorish 
influence,  or  that  of  the  Orient  at  least,  was  a  determin- 
ing factor,  for  the  study  of  zodiacal  influences  was 
eagerly  pursued  in  Spain  in  the  thirteenth  century  and 
earlier,  as  is  witnessed  by  the  curious  Lapidario  of 
Alfonso  X,  the  Wise,  composed  in  the  latter  half  of 
that  century.  The  survivance  of  this  style  in  Madeira 
depends  quite  probably  upon  one  of  those  rather  in- 
explicable chances  that  cause  the  production  of  a  cer- 
tain class  of  jewels  or  ornaments,  when  a  curious  or 
unusual  example  strikes  some  tourist's  fancy,  and  he 
shows  it  to  friends  at  home ;  these  in  their  turn  will  ask 
for  it  when  they  go  to  the  same  place,  thus  creating  a 
demand  and  a  local  fashion.  Rings  of  this  kind  are 
brought  from  Madeira  by  sailors  and  travelling  jewel- 
lers, and  are  found  at  a  number  of  places,  including  the 
west  coast  of  Africa. 

Many  gold  zodiac  rings  of  a  simple  type  are  made 
on  the  Gold  Coast  and  brought  thence  to  Europe.  The 
hoop  is  a  flat  band,  on  which  the  conventional  symbols 
of  the  zodiacal  signs  are  soldered,  scroll  borders  also 
being  applied  in  the  same  way.^^  While  these  rings  are 
totally  lacking  in  artistic  quality,  their  production  on 
the  Gold  Coast  may  indicate  that  long  ago  some  better 
work  of  the  class  was  done  here,  probably  under  Por- 
tuguese influence. 

Communicated  by  Mrs.  Isabel  Moore,  formerly  of  Wood- 
stock, N.  Y.,  now  in  the  Azores. 

O.  M.  Dalton,  "  Franks  Bequest,  Catalogue  of  the  Finger 
Rings,  Early  Christian,  Byzantine,  Teutonic,  Mediaeval  and 
Later  [British  Museum],"  London,  1912,  p.  347,  No.  2514}, 
fig. 


330 


RINGS 


Rings  holding  truly  "  celestial  stones,"  gems  from 
the  heavens  as  they  are  called,  are  those  in  which  have 
been  set  small,  but  perfectly  cut  chrysolites  (peridots) 
from  crystals  found  in  meteorites.  One  of  these  was  of 
the  pallasite  type,  from  Brenham,  Kiowa  County,  Kan- 
sas and  gems  were  also  cut  out  of  chrysolite  from  the 
meteorite  of  Glorietta  Mountain,  Santa  Fe  County, 
New  Mexico/^ 

A  most  attractive  kind  of  natal  ring  is  that  having 
the  birth  stone  in  the  centre  between  the  stones  of  the 
guardian  angel  and  of  the  apostle  of  the  month.  While 
this  particular  arrangement  of  the  settings  is  followed 
in  the  greater  number  of  cases,  it  sometimes  happens 
that  a  better  artistic  effect  is  obtained,  a  better  harmony 
of  color,  by  making  either  the  stone  of  the  angel  or  that 
of  the  apostle  the  central  gem.  The  essential  thing  is 
that  the  three  particular  stones  assigned  to  the  given 
month  shall  be  grouped  together.  The  following  table 
renders  it  easy  to  find  the  proper  combination  for  each 
month,  or  each  zodiacal  sign: 

Zodiacal        Natal       Guardian      Angel's       Apostle      Apostle's  Flower 
Month         Sign  Stone  Angel  Gem        of  Month         Gem       of  Month 

January       Aquarius      Garnet        Gabriel        Onyx  Peter  Jasper  Snowdrop 

February     Pisces  Amethyst     Barchiel      Jasper         Andrew  Carbuncle  Primrose 

March         Aries  Bloodstone  Malchediel  Ruby  James  and  Emerald  Violet 

John 

April  Taurus        Diamond  or  Ashmodel    Topaz         Philip  Carnelian  Daisy 

Sapphire 

May  Gemini        Emerald      Amriel         Carbuncle    Bartholo-  ChrysoUte  Hawthorne 

mew 

June  Cancer        Agate  Muriel         Emerald      Thomas  Beryl  Honeysuckle 

George  F.  Kunz,  "  On  five  new  American  Meteorites," 
American  Journal  of  Science,  3rd  Series,  vol.  40,  pp.  320-322. 

'^^  George  F.  Kunz,  "  On  three  masses  of  meteoric  iron  from 
Glorietta  Mountain  near  Canoneito,  Santa  Fe  Co.,  New  Mex- 
ico," Amer.  Journal  of  Science,  3rd  Series,  vol.  30,  p.  238; 
vol.  32,  pp.  311-313. 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  331 


Zodiacal        Natal        Guardian     Angel's       Apostle       Apostle's  Flower 
Month         Sign  Stone      -     Angel         Gem        of  Month         Gem       of  Month 

July  Leo  Turquoise    Verchiel       Sapphire      Matthew     Topaz         Water  Lily 

August        Virgo  Carnelian     Hamatiel     Diamond     James  the    Sardonyx  Poppy 

Less 

September   Libra  Chrysolite    Tsuriel        Jacinth        Thaddeus     Chrysoprase  Morning 

Glory 

October       Scorpio        Beryl  Bariel  Agate  Simon         Jacinth  Hops 

November   Sagittarius  Topaz         Adnachiel    Amethyst    Matthias     Amethyst  Chrysanthe- 
mum 

December    Capricornus  Ruby  Humiel       Beryl  Paul  Sapphire  Holly 

If,  like  ApoUonius  of  Tyana,"^^  anyone  should  wish 
to  wear  on  each  week  day  a  ring  set  with  the  stones 
especially  appropriate  to  the  day,  the  following  list 
gives  for  the  successive  days  the  pair  of  stones  whose 
combination  was  believed  to  unite  the  most  favorable 
planetary  and  celestial  influences: 


Gem  of 

Talismanic 

Astral  Control 

the  Day 

Gem 

Sunday 

Diamond 

Pearl 

Sun 

Monday 

Pearl 

Emerald 

MooQ 

Tuesday 

Ruby 

Topaz 

Mars 

Wednesday 

Amethyst 

Turquoise 

Mercury 

Thursday 

Carnelian 

Sapphire 

Jupiter 

Friday 

Emerald 

Ruby 

Venus 

Saturday 

Turquoise 

Tourmaline 

Saturn 

The  use  of  fraternity  rings  is  often  connected  with 
a  certain  amount  of  sentiment  or  even  superstition  con- 
cerning their  emblematic  value.  The  most  important 
of  this  type  of  rings  are  those  worn  by  the  Free  Masons. 

The  greater  number  of  Masonic  rings  are  intended 
for  those  Masons  who  have  attained  the  two  highest 
degrees,  the  thirty-second  and  the  thirty-third;  some, 
however,  are  appropriate  to  those  of  the  lower  degrees. 
The  bezels  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  or  Master  Mason  rings, 
frequently  have  the  square  compasses  and  the  latter  G 
in  gold  on  a  background  of  blue  enamel;  occasionally 
emblems  and  paraphernalia  used  in  the  Lodge  are 
enamelled  in  blue  on  the  gold  hoops  of  the  ring.  Some- 
times, instead  of  enamel,  the  background  is  formed  of 
sapphire,  bloodstone,  or  some  other  stone  on  which  the 
emblems  are  encrusted  in  gold.  An  example  of  the  ring 


77  See  p.  296. 


332 


RINGS 


of  a  Past  Master  bears  a  raised  gold  sun-face.  In  a 
ring  for  the  Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons,  the  key- 
stone is  usually  enameled  white  with  a  black  circle  and 
white  centre.  Shrine  Rings  are  distinctly  Oriental  in 
type,  the  prevailing  design  showing  a  simitar  passed  be- 
tween the  horns  of  a  crescent  moon.  In  rings  of  the 
Knights  Templar  the  design  is  usually  a  cross  passed 
through  a  crown,  with  the  motto  of  Constantine  the 
Great:  In  hoc  Signo  vinces.  The  cross  will  be  of 
black  enamel  (occasionally  of  red  enamel)  and  the 
crown  is  gold.  A  special  ring  for  this  order  has  a  Blue 
Lodge  emblem  on  one  shoulder  and  the  Chapter  emblem 
on  the  other,  and  is  arranged  for  a  diamond  to  be  set 
in  the  centre  of  the  bezel.  On  a  fourteenth  degree  ring 
(Lodge  of  Perfection)  appears  the  initial  Hebrew  letter 
{yod)  of  the  Tetragrammaton,  or  Ineffable  Name,  now 
approximately  sounded  Yahweh.  Sometimes  the  sym- 
bols of  more  than  one  degree  appear  on  the  ring,  one 
example  bearing  those  of  the  fourteenth,  sixteenth, 
eighteenth,  thirtieth  and  thirty-second ;  this  is  one  of  the 
Consistory  rings,  as  those  for  thirty-second  degree  Ma- 
sons are  denominated.  These  usually  have  the  double 
eagle  on  the  bezel. 

The  variety  of  types  of  fraternity  rings  is  manifold, 
most  of  the  orders  having  a  half-dozen  or  more  different 
ring-designs,  although  certain  distinctive  elements  run 
through  all,  as  with  the  wide-spread  Benevolent  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  for  instance,  on  whose  rings  the 
elk-head  is  always  conspicuously  present.  For  rings  of 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  anvil,  sword  and  battle- 
axe  are  never- failing  marks.  The  Brotherhood  of  Loco- 
motive Engineers,  a  labor  organization  of  the  highest 
type,  has  for  its  device  a  locomotive  running  on  a  rail- 
way track,  with  a  telegraph  pole  at  one  side.  The 
Loyal  Order  of  Moose  has  the  head  of  the  patron  ani- 


9 


RINGS  OF  ORDERS  AND  SOCIETIES 

1,  Senior  Order  United  American  Mechanics;  2,  Kniglits  of  Columbus.  Raised  centre  em- 
blem on  black  enamel ;  3,  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  ;  4,  Knights  of  the  Maccabees ; 
5,  Order  of  Railroad  Telegraphers;  6,  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  7,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  (encrusted  sardonyx);  8,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles;  9,  Knights  of  Pythias  (encrusted 
sardonyx);  10,  Sons  of  Veterans  ;  11,  Knights  of  Pythias  (raised  centre  emblem  on  black  enamel); 
12,  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  ;  13,  Woodmen  of  the  World  ;  14,  Improved  Order  of  Red 
Men  (raised  centre);  15,  Junior  Order  United  American  Mechanics 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  RINGS  333 


mal,  less  graceful  than  the  elk,  but  better  suggesting 
the  aggressive  quality  of  this  order.  A  considerable 
variety  of  designs  are  represented  among  the  rings  worn 
by  the  Knights  of  Pythias ;  in  most  cases  a  helmet  and 
battleaxes  are  combined  v^ith  a  shield.  Last,  but  not 
least,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  has  many 
rings  rich  in  symbols,  the  all-seeing  eye,  the  open  hand 
with  a  heart  in  it,  a  death's-head  and  cross-bones,  and 
everywhere,  the  three  interlinked  rings  characteristic  of 
the  order.  These  are  only  a  few  of  the  innumerable 
ingenious  designs  that  American  factories  have  pro- 
duced to  satisfy  an  overwhelming  demand  for  fraternity 
rings.  For  the  leading  schools  also,  many  special  rings 
have  been  executed  to  be  used  as  prizes,  or  else  to  meet 
the  wants  of  school  fraternities  or  sororities.  Of  course, 
the  numerous  college  fraternities  also  frequently  use 
specially  designed  rings  as  distinguishing  emblems. 

The  immense  number  of  rings  that  must  have  been 
produced  for  members  of  the  largest  societies  becomes 
apparent  when  we  consider  that  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  whose  English  foundation  dates  back 
to  about  1745,  now  has  a  membership  of  over  1,500,000, 
in  the  United  States  and  more  than  160,000  in  other 
countries.  To  this  must  be  added  the  membership  of  the 
Daughters  of  Kebekah,  a  co5rdinate  body  of  women 
numbering  about  700,000.  Another  society,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  though  of  comparatively  recent  organization, 
having  been  founded  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1864, 
has  over  700,000  members  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  This  order  has  a  branch  exclusively  for  the 
colored  race,  denominated  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of 
North  and  South  America,  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa; 
its  members  number  50,000.  The  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  counts  410,000  members  in  1309 
lodges  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  a  fraternal  and 


334 


RINGS 


benevolent  society  founded  in  New  Haven  in  1882,  had, 
on  July  1,  1914,  326,858  members. 

The  membership  of  the  Greek-letter  fraternities  of 
the  universities  and  colleges  in  the  United  States  is 
enormous.  In  1914  there  were  38  leading  fraternities 
distributed  in  1228  active  chapters  and  counting  2,656,- 
817  members,  with  979  fraternity  houses.  The  oldest 
Greek-letter  society.  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  was  organized 
at  William  and  Mary  College,  Virginia,  in  1776 ;  Kappa 
Alpha  was  founded  at  Union  College,  in  1827,  this  being 
the  first  fraternity  to  be  organized  according  to  the 
system  at  present  prevailing.  The  first  sorority  was 
Kappa  Alpha  Theta,  established  at  De  Pauw  in  1870. 
The  sororities  now  have  about  50,000  members  in  395 
chapters. 

A  gem  representing  one  of  the  States  is  often  set 
in  a  talismanic  ring.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  stones 
of  the  various  States  in  the  United  States, — a  precious 
or  semi-precious  stone  having  been  found  in  every  State: 

Alabama  Beryl 

Arizona  Turquoise 

Arkansas  i  Diamond 

California  Kunzite 

Colorado  ^  Aquamarine 

Connecticut  Beryl 

Delaware   Pearl 

Florida  i  Chalcedony 

Georgia  Ruby 

Idaho  Opal 

Illinois  Pearl 

Indiana  Pearl 

Iowa  Fossil  Coral 

Kansas  Chalcedony 

Kentucky  Pearl 

Louisiana  Chalcedony 

Maine  Topaz 


MAGIC  AND  TALISMANIC  EINGS  335 


Maryland  .  Orthoclase 

Massachusetts  Beryl 

Michigan  Agate 

Minnesota  Chlorastrolite  or  Agate 

Mississippi   .Pearl 

Missouri  Pyrite 

Montana  Sapphire 

Nebraska  Chalcedony 

Nevada  Gold  Quartz 

New  Hampshire  Garnet 

New  J ersey  Prehnite 

New  Mexico.  .   Garnet  or  Peridot 

New  York  Beryl 

North  Carolina  Emerald 

North  Dakota  Agate 

Ohio  Chalcedony 

Oklahoma  .  .,.  .  .  .  .  .,.  .  .|.  .  ./.Smoky  Quartz 

Oregon  .Agate 

Pennsylvania  Sunstone  or  Moonstone 

Rhode  Island  Amethyst 

South  Carolina  Beryl 

South  Dakota  Agate 

Tennessee  Pearl 

Texas   ,.  .  .  .  .  .  .Agate 

Utah  Topaz 

Vermont  Beryl 

Virginia  Spessartite 

W^ashington  Agate 

West  Virginia  Rock-crystal  , 

Wisconsin  Pearl 

Wyoming  Moss  Agate 


For  fuller  information  concerning  natal  stones,  stones 
of  the  month,  stones  of  the  day,  stones  of  the  week,  stones  of 
sentiment,  stones  for  posy  rings,  for  wedding  anniversaries  and 
similar  occasions,  see  George  Frederick  Kunz,  "  The  Curious 
Lore  of  Precious  Stones,"  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadel- 
phia and  London,  1913,  xiv  +  406  pp.,  58  pi.  (8  in  color), 
many  text  cuts. 


VIII 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 

CLOSELY  allied  with  the  magic  rings,  so  closely 
indeed  that  it  is  often  difficult  to  establish  a  satis- 
factory distinction  between  them,  are  the  rings  of  heal- 
ing, those  to  which  were  ascribed  special  and  peculiar 
curative  powers.  In  some  instances  this  was  due  to  a 
legend  connected  with  a  particular  ring  or  with  the 
prototype  of  a  class  of  rings;  at  other  times  the  thera- 
peutic virtue  was  believed  to  result  from  the  inscription 
of  certain  letters  or  words.  In  other  cases,  again,  the 
belief  arose  from  the  form  given  to  the  ring. 

In  the  course  of  his  eleventh  consulate,  Augustus 
was  attacked  by  a  serious  illness.  None  of  the  remedies 
prescribed  for  him  were  of  any  avail,  until  finally  he  was 
relieved  by  following  the  directions  of  Antonius  Musa, 
who  recommended  cold  baths  and  cold  drinks.  As  a 
reward  Musa  was  granted  the  privilege  of  wearing  gold 
rings,  and  also  received  a  large  gift  of  money  from  the 
grateful  emperor.^  Although  this  ring  was  not  in  itself 
a  cause  of  healing  it  was  certainly  the  memorial  of  a 
successful  cure. 

A  strange  remedy  for  sneezing  or  hiccoughing, 
recommended  by  Pliny,  was  to  transfer  a  ring  from  one 
of  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  to  the  middle  finger  of 
the  right  hand.^  This  prescription  is  copied  from  Pliny 
by  the  physician  Marcellus  Empiricus  ^  who  says,  how- 

^  Cassius  Dio,  lib.  liii. 

^  Plinii,  "  Historia  Naturalis,"  lib.  xxviii,  cap.  15. 

^  Marcelli  Empirici,  "  De  medicamentis,"  cap.  17. 
336 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


337 


ever,  that  a  ring  should  be  put  on  the  middle  finger  of 
the  left  hand,  adding  that  the  cure  was  immediate. 
Probably  the  explanation  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  rings  were  rarely  worn  by  the  Romans  on  the 
middle  finger,  and  hence  the  unusual  sensation  pro- 
duced by  placing  a  ring  on  this  finger  operated  to  check 
the  ^nervous  spasm  causing  the  sneezes  or  hiccoughs. 
It  is  well  known  that  any  nervous  shock,  sometimes  a 
very  slight  one,  will  suffice  to  cure  such  spasms;  indeed, 
Pliny  also  advises  the  immersion  of  the  hand  in  very 
hot  water. 

Since  lizards  were  believed  to  recover  their  sight  by 
natural  means  after  they  had  been  blinded,  this  fancy 
led  to  the  use  of  a  strange  method  for  procuring 
remedial  rings.  A  blinded  lizard  was  put  into  a  glass 
vessel,  in  which  iron  or  gold  rings  were  also  placed. 
When  it  became  apparent  that  the  creature  had  re- 
gained its  sight,  the  rings  were  taken  out  and  used  for 
the  cure  of  weak  and  weeping  eyes.  Something  of 
the  natural  force  that  operated  to  restore  the  lizard's 
vision  was  supposed  to  communicate  itself  to  the  rings.* 

In  a  treatise  incorrectly  attributed  to  the  Roman 
physician  Galen  ("De  incantatione  " ) ,  the  statement 
is  made  that  the  wearing  of  a  ring  set  with  a  sard  weigh- 
ing twenty  grains  will  ensure  deep  and  tranquil  sleep 
and  give  protection  against  bad  dreams  or  fearful 
"  visions  of  the  night."  For  nervous  derangement,  often 
a  cause  of  nightmare,  Marcellus  Empiricus,  who  prac- 
tised medicine  in  the  Roman  world  of  the  sixth  century 
A.D.,  recommended  a  finger  ring  made  out  of  the  hoof  of 
a  rhinoceros,  asserting  that  any  patient  suffering  from 
"  obstruction  of  the  nerves  "  would  surely  experience 
relief  by  wearing  such  a  ring.    On  the  other  hand  a 

*  Plinii,  "  Naturalis  historia,"  lib,  xxix,  cap.  38. 

22 


338 


RINGS 


ring  turned  out  of  rhinoceros  horn  was  supposed  to 
have  efficacy  against  poison  and  spasms.^ 

As  a  cure  for  biHous  or  intestinal  troubles,  the 
physician,  Alexander  Trallianus  (sixth  century  a.d.) 
recommends  an  iron  ring  with  an  octagonal  chaton  on 
which  should  be  inscribed  the  words: 

^evys,  ^evys,  lov  xoXyj,  yj  xopv8aXog  e^yjteL. 

"  Fly,  fly,  wretched  bile,  the  swallow  is  seeking  thee."  ^ 

This  refers  to  the  belief  that  the  flesh  of  the  swallow  was 
a  remedy  for  those  suffering  from  colic. 

A  gold  ring,  evidently  of  Byzantine  origin,  bears  on 
the  face,  divided  into  six  segments,  an  invocation  to  the 
saints  Cosmas  and  Damian.  According  to  Catholic 
legend  these  saints  were  brothers,  of  Arabian  birth,  who 
practised  medicine  in  2Eigsd  in  Cilicia  at  the  end  of  the 
third  century.  They  were  regarded  as  the  patron  saints 
of  physicians  and  were  often  invoked  by  those  suffering 
from  disease.  Hence  this  ring  probably  represents  a 
type  common  in  the  Eastern  Empire  and  used  as  a 
talisman  for  the  cure  or  prevention  of  various  illnesses. 
We  know  that  the  Byzantines  were  fervently  devoted 
to  three  groups  of  saints,  regarded  as  physicians,  whose 
festival  days  were  July  1,  November  1,  and  October  17.^ 

The  initial  letters  of  some  magic  or  religious  formula 
believed  to  operate  as  a  charm,  were  engraved  on  certain 
rings,  as,  for  example,  the  four  Hebrew  letters  «   ■?  :i  « 

^  Jacobi  Wolfii,  "  Curiosus  amuletomm  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  &  Lipsise,  1692,  pp.  388,  392. 

^  Alexandri  Tralliani,  "  De  medicamentis,"  Basileae, 
1556,  p.  593;  lib.  x,  cap.  1. 

G.  Schlumberger  in  the  Mem.  de  la  Soc.  dtes  antiq.  de 
France,  1882,  vol.  xliii,  pp.  135  sq. 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


339 


or  their  equivalents  in  Roman  characters,  sometimes  dis- 
posed as  follows: 

a  I  I 

g  I  a 

This  was  called  the  Shield  of  David  and  was  be- 
lieved to  alFord  protection  from  injury  by  wounds, 
fire,  etc.  The  Hebrew  letters  are  the  initials  of  the 
four  words: 

Thou,  God,  art  mighty  for  ever." 

A  gold  ring  with  a  Runic  (old  Scandinavian)  in- 
scription was  owned  by  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen  in  1827. 
It  had  evidently  been  destined  for  use  as  an  amulet,  the 
characters  reading  in  translation  as  follows:  "  Whether 
in  fever  or  in  leprosy,  let  the  patient  be  happy  and  con- 
fident in  the  hope  of  recovery."  On  rings  for  wear  as 
protection  from  the  plague  the  favorite  inscriptions 
were  i  e  s  v  s — m  a  r  i  a — i  o  s  e  p  h  and  ihs  nasa- 
RENVS  REX  IVDEORU  M.^  A  massivc  thumb-ring 
in  Mr.  Hamper's  possession  bore  an  old  French  legend 
more  in  accord  with  true  Christian  piety  than  the  in- 
scription we  have  noted,  namely:  Candu  plera  meleor 
cera,  or  "  When  God  pleases,  things  will  be  better.'* 

The  curiously  learned  theologian  and  natural  phil- 
osopher, Albertus  Magnus  (1193-1280) ,  Count  of  Boll- 
stadt,  and  Bishop  of  Ratisbon,  affirmed  that  he  had  seen 
a  sapphire  set  in  a  ring  remove  impurities  from  the 
eyes.  He  had  also  witnessed  the  curative  effects  of 
the  stone  when  applied  to  carbuncles,  and  declares  the 
common  belief  that  after  operating  such  a  cure  a  sap- 

^  William  Hamper,  "  Observations  on  a  Gold  Ring  with  a 
Runic  Inscription,"  Archagologia,  vol.  xxi,  London,  1827,  pp. 
24-30. 


340 


RINGS 


phire  would  lose  its  virtue,  to  be  entirely  false.^  As 
the  name  carbuncle  (or  anthraoo  as  Albertus  puts  it) 
was  given  both  to  a  boil  and  to  ruby  or  garnet,  we  have 
here  an  instance  among  many  of  the  cures  by  antipathy, 
the  blue  stone  curing  a  red,  inflamed  tumor. 

Should  we  need  proof  that  in  the  Middle  Ages 
rings  were  believed  to  have  remedial  powers,  this  is 
offered  by  a  passage  in  the  statutes  of  the  Hotel  Dieu 
of  Troyes,  dated  in  1263.  Here  it  is  decreed  that  the 
nuns  should  not  be  permitted  to  wear  rings  set  with 
precious  stones,  except  in  case  of  illness, Probably 
in  this  event  the  appropriate  stone  was  selected  by 
those  versed  in  this  branch  of  knowledge,  after  they  had 
determined,  as  well  as  they  were  able,  the  real  nature  of 
the  disease. 

If  the  owner  of  a  garnet  ring  who  was  not  an  expert 
in  precious  stones  wished  to  assure  himself  of  the 
genuineness  of  his  garnet,  the  following  rather  trouble- 
some experiment  was  at  his  disposal.  He  was  to  dis- 
robe, still  wearing  his  ring,  and  then  to  have  his  body 
smeared  with  honey.  This  done,  he  was  to  lie  down 
where  flies  or  wasps  were  about.  If  in  spite  of  the 
sweet  temptation  they  failed  to  light  on  his  body,  this 
was  a  proof  that  the  garnet  was  genuine,  an  added 
proof  being  that  when  he  took  off  the  garnet  ring  the 
insects  would  hasten  to  make  up  for  lost  time  and  suck 
up  the  honey.^^ 

Jacinth  as  a  ring-setting  was  said  to  preserve  a 
traveller  from  all  perils  on  his  journey  and  to  make 

^  Cited  in  Johannis  de  Cuba,  "Ortus  Sanitatis"  (Strass- 
burg,  ca  1483)  ;  "  De  lapidibus,"  cap.  cix. 

1^  Havard,  "  Historie  de  I'orfevrerie,"  Paris,  1896,  p.  358. 
Johannis  de  Cuba,  "Ortus  Sanitatis,"  "  De  lapidibus," 
cap.  Ix. 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


341 


him  well  received  everywhere.  Another  merit  was  that 
he  was  protected  against  plague  and  pestilence,  and 
would  enjoy  good  sleep/^  Certainly  if  this  were  true, 
the  traveller  could  ask  for  no  better  amulet  to  bear 
about  with  him  on  his  trip. 

A  toadstone  set  in  an  open  ring,  so  that  the  stone 
could  touch  the  skin,  was  thought  to  give  notice  of  the 
presence  of  poison  by  producing  a  sensation  of  heat  in 
the  skin  at  the  point  of  contact.  A  ring  made  out  of 
narwhal  tusk  was  believed  to  be  an  effective  antidote  to 
poisons.  Apart  from  these  materials,  several  precious 
or  semi-precious  stones,  such  as  emeralds,  agates,  and 
also  amber  and  coral,  were  assumed  to  be  especially 
sensitive  to  the  approach  of  poison,  so  much  so  that 
when  worn  suspended  from  the  neck  or  set  in  rings, 
they  would  lose  their  natural  color,  thus  giving  timely 
warning  to  their  wearers.^  ^ 

The  earliest  notices  of  cramp  rings  are  from  entries 
made  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II  (1307-1327),  record- 
ing the  Good  Friday  gifts  of  coins  by  the  sovereign  to 
the  altar,  the  metal  of  which,  or  else  an  equivalent  quan- 
tity of  metal,  was  to  be  made  up  into  rings.  Although 
no  cramp  ring  has  been  preserved — at  least  none  con- 
cerning which  there  is  any  good  evidence — it  has  been 
considered  probable  that  it  was  a  simple  gold  hoop.  Its 
curative  power  was  not  connected  with  any  image  or 
inscription,  but  solely  due  to  the  magic  effect  of  the 
royal  blessing.  Some  old  wills  contain  bequests  of 
cramp  rings,  or  what  we  may  assume  to  have  been  such 
rings.    Thus  John  Baret  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  in  his 

Johannis  de  Cuba,  "  Ortus  Sanitatis,"  (Strassburg,  ca. 
1483).  "De  lapidibus,"  cap.  Ixv. 

Jacobi  Wolfii,  "Curiosus  amuletorum  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  &  Lipsise,  1692,  pp.  408,  409,  419. 


342 


RINGS 


will  dated  in  1463,  left  a  "  rowund  ryng  of  the  Kynges 
silver,"  that  is  of  the  silver  coins  of  the  royal  offering; 
another  bequest  in  the  same  will  is  that  of  a  "  crampe 
ryng  with  blak  innamel,  and  a  part  of  silver  and  gilt." 
A  few  years  later,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII,  Edmund 
Zee  wills  to  his  niece  a  "  gold  ryng  with  a  turkes  (tur- 
quoise) and  a  crampe  ryng  of  gold." 

At  his  coronation,  Edward  II  of  England  offered 
at  the  high  altar  of  Westminster  Abbey  a  pound  weight 
of  gold,  fashioned  with  "  the  likeness  of  a  king  holding 
a  ring  in  his  hand,  to  this  was  added  a  golden  image 
weighing  eight  ounces  (Vs  pound),  representing  a  pil- 
grim stretching  forth  his  hand  to  take  the  proffered 
ring.  The  off*ering  of  a  pound  of  gold  has  persisted 
down  to  modern  times,  although  the  later  offerings  have 
been  in  the  form  of  plain  ingots,  while  in  medieval 
times  the  sovereign  would  have  it  formed  into  the  saintly 
figure  or  figures  to  which  he  paid  particular  devotion, 
as  Edward  II  did  to  St.  Edward  the  Confessor/^ 

These  so-called  "  cramp-rings,"  long  regarded  in 
England  as  specifics  for  the  cure  of  cramps  and  con- 
vulsions, and  even  of  epileptic  attacks,  owed  their  virtue, 
as  has  been  stated,  to  the  royal  blessing.  Polydore 
Vergil,  writing  in  1534,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII, 
asserts  that  the  original  cramp-ring  was  brought  to 
Edward  the  Confessor  shortly  before  his  death  by  some 
persons  who  came  from  Jerusalem.  This  very  ring 
had  been  given  by  Edward,  many  years  before,  to  a 
beggar,  who  had  craved  alms  of  the  King  for  the  love 

Edmund  Waterton  on  Cramp  Rings  in  the  "  Archaeo- 
logical Journal,"  vol.  xxi,  pp.  103-113. 

"  Ancient  and  Modern  Gold  and  Silver  Smiths'  Work 
in  the  South  Kensington  Museum,"  with  introduction  by  John 
Hunger  ford  Pollen,  London,  1878,  p.  cxlix. 


Wj  icqrLCDufiiii 
ill  o^^^rffiqr- 


Massive  gold  ring  engraved  with  the  Wounds  of  Christ    A  healing  talisman;  English;  Fifteenth  Century. 

Found  at  Coventry,  1802 
British  Museum 


Edward  the  Confessor  bestowing  his  ring  upon  the  beggar.   From  a  tile  in 
the  Chapter  House  at  Westminster    Thirteenth  Century 
British  Museum 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


343 


he  bore  St.  John  the  Evangelist.  The  historian  ap- 
pears to  regard  the  return  of  the  ring  as  a  warning  to 
the  King  of  his  approaching  death.  When  Edward 
was  interred  in  Westminster,  this  ring  was  placed  in 
that  church/^  and  it  became  an  object  of  great  venera- 
tion there,  for  it  cured  those  suffering  from  paralysis 
or  epilepsy,  if  they  touched  it.  From  this  time,  says 
Polydore  Vergil,  the  kings  of  England  adopted  the 
practice  of  consecrating,  on  Good  Friday,  similar  rings, 
which  received  the  name  of  "  cramp-rings  "  from  their 
special  efficacy/^  Confirmation  of  the  exercise  of  this 
rite  of  consecration  by  Henry  VIII  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  English  Church  is  given  by  Andrew  Borde, 
who  writes  in  1542  as  follows:  "  The  Kynges  of  Eng- 
lande  doth  halowe  every  yere  Crampe  rynges  the  whyche 
rynges,  worne  on  ones  fynger,  dothe  helpe  them  the 
whyche  hath  the  Crampe." 

Cramp  rings  appear  to  have  been  consecrated  by 
Henry  VIII  both  before  and  after  his  breach  with  the 
Roman  Church,  for  in  1529  Anne  Boleyn  wrote  to 
Bishop  Gardiner,  then  in  Rome,  that  she  was  sending 
him  cramp  rings  for  himself  and  certain  of  his  friends.^ ^ 
After  the  death  of  Henry,  Bishop  Gardiner  wrote  to 
Ridley  that  he  trusted  the  young  king  (Edward  VI) 
would  not  neglect  to  continue  the  usage.    However,  as 

i«  See  also  pp.  174,  175. 

Poljdori  Vergilii,  "  Historige  Anglicse,"  Lug.  Bat.,  1651, 
p.  187. 

The  fyrst  Boke  of  the  Introduction  of  Knowledge  made 
by  Andrew  Borde  of  Physcycke  Doctor;  ed.  by  Furnivall, 
London,  1870.  Early  English  Text  Series;  Extra  Series  No.  X. 

1^  Burton,  "  History  of  the  Reformation,"  Oxford,  1829, 
vol.  II,  Pt.  II  (Collection  of  Records,  bk.  II,  No.  M)  pp. 
413,  414. 


844 


RINGS 


we  have  no  information  that  such  rings  were  conse- 
crated during  Edward's  reign  (1547-1553),  it  seems 
probable  that  the  practice  was  discontinued.^^  In  the 
early  part  of  Mary's  reign  (1553-1558),  a  special  Latin 
service  for  the  consecration  of  cramp  rings  was  drawn 
up,  some  extracts  from  which  are  here  translated : 

The  rings  lying  in  one  basin  or  more,  this  prayer  is  to 
be  said  over  them :  "  O  God,  the  creator  of  all  celestial  and 
terrestrial  creations,  the  restorer  of  the  human  race,  and 
the  bestower  of  all  blessings,  send  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  the  Par- 
aclete, from  heaven  upon  these  rings  made  by  the  hand  of 
man,  and  deign  to  so  purify  them  by  Thy  power,  that  all  the 
corruption  of  the  envious  and  venomous  serpent  being  expelled, 
the  metal  created  by  Thee  in  Thy  goodness  may  remain  un- 
tainted by  all  the  stains  of  the  enemy.  Through  Christ,  our 
Lord.  Amen." 

Benediction:  O  God,  who  in  every  disease  hast  always 
shown  miracles  of  Thy  power,  and  who  hast  willed  that  rings 
should  be  a  pledge  of  faith  for  Judah,  a  priestly  ornament 
for  Aaron,  a  symbol  of  a  faithful  custodian  for  Darius,  and 
a  remedy  for  various  diseases  in  this  reign,  graciously  vouch- 
safe to  sanctify  +  to  bless  -)-  these  rings;  that  all  who 
wear  them  may  be  protected  from  the  wiles  of  Satan  and 
armed  with  the  virtue  of  a  celestial  guardianship;  and  that 
they  shall  neither  be  menaced  by  convulsions  nor  by  danger 
lof  epilepsy,  but  shall  find  by  Thy  succor,  alleviation  of  all 
manner  of  diseases.  In  the  name  of  the  Father  +  ,  of  the 
Son  +,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  +.  Amen. 

A  manuscript  owned  by  the  late  Cardinal  Wiseman 
described  the  ceremonies  of  the  service  under  this  head- 

20  Ibid.,  vol.  ii,  p.  645. 

vol.  ii,  Pt.  II  (Collection  of  Records,  Bk.  II,  No. 
24)  pp.  415,  416. 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


345 


ing:  "  Certain  prayers  to  be  used  by  the  Quene's  Heigh- 
nes  in  the  Consecration  of  the  Cramp-rynges."  There 
is  also  an  illuminated  design  showing  Queen  Mary  as 
she  knelt  at  the  ceremony,  a  dish  filled  with  the  rings 
being  set  on  either  side  of  her.  King  Philip  was  also 
present  to  take  part  in  the  ceremonial,  although  the 
Queen's  share  in  the  consecration  must  have  been  re- 
garded as  the  principal  one;  still  Philip's  fervent  de- 
votion to  the  church  ritual  found  expression  here  as  else- 
where, for  on  entering  the  chapel  he  is  said  to  have 
crept  on  his  knees  along  a  carpet  extending  from  the 
entrance  to  the  place  where  the  rings  were  to  be  blessed. 
Here  a  crucifix  had  been  placed  on  a  cushion,  and  the 
King,  still  in  a  kneeling  attitude,  bestowed  his  royal 
blessing  on  the  rings.  This  intensely  devout  approach 
to  them  was  then  repeated  by  Queen  Mary  and  the 
ladies  who  attended  her  to  the  chapel.^^ 

A  talismanic  ring  especially  valuable  for  a  physician 
is  described  by  Konrad  von  Megenberg.  This  is  to  be 
of  silver  and  set  with  a  stone  bearing  the  figure  of  a 
man  with  a  bundle  of  herbs  hanging  from  his  neck. 
The  wearer  is  given  the  power  to  diagnose  diseases, 
and  he  will  be  able  to  stanch  any  hemorrhage,  however 
severe,  if  he  only  touch  the  affected  part  with  the  stone. 
As  a  natural  result,  we  learn  that  the  physician  will 
gain  both  reputation  and  honors,  and  it  is  related  that 
Galen,  the  great  Roman  medical  authority,  wore  such 
a  ring.^^ 

In  the  "  Gesta  Homanorum  "  is  a  story  of  a  ring 
endowed  with  great  remedial  powers: 

William  Jones,   "  Crowns   and   Coronations,"  London, 
1883,  p.  474. 

Konrad  von  Megenberg,  "  Das  Buch  der  Natur,"  ed. 
PfeifFer,  Stuttgart,  1866,  p.  470. 


346 


RINGS 


A  certain  king  had  three  sons  and  one  precious  stone. 
When  the  hour  of  his  death  had  come,  he  reflected  that  his 
sons  would  dispute  for  the  possession  of  the  stone.  Now  he 
loved  one  of  his  three  sons  better  than  the  others,  wherefore  he 
caused  three  similar  rings  to  be  made  and  two  glass  imita- 
tions resembling  the  precious  stone;  he  then  had  the  three 
stones  set  in  their  respective  rings.  Lest  his  plan  should  fail, 
the  father  called  his  three  sons  to  him,  and  gave  to  each  the 
ring  destined  for  him,  giving  the  best  one  to  the  son  he  most 
loved.  After  the  father's  death  each  of  the  sons  declared  that 
he  had  the  ring  with  the  precious  stone.  Hearing  this,  a 
sage  said :  "  Let  us  make  a  test,  for  that  ring  which  can  cure 
disease  is  the  most  precious."  The  test  was  made,  and  two 
of  the  rings  had  no  effect,  but  that  with  the  precious  stone 
cured  the  disease ;  whence  it  became  manifest  which  of  the  sons 
had  been  best  loved  by  his  father." 

It  was  this  mediseval  tale  that  suggested  to  the  Ger- 
man dramatic  poet  and  critic,  Lessing,  the  celebrated 
parable  of  the  three  rings,  which  he  puts  into  the  mouth 
of  Nathan  the  Sage,^^  in  answer  to  Saladin's  question  as 
to  whether  the  true  religion  was  Judaism,  Christianity 
or  Mohammedanism.  Nathan  likens  them  to  the  three 
rings  given  by  the  father  to  his  sons,  the  secret  as  to 
which  was  the  genuine  magic  ring  being  hidden  from 
them.  Pursuing  the  parable,  he  makes  the  sons,  after  the 
father's  death,  bring  their  dispute  before  a  court  of 
justice.  The  judge  having  heard  the  testimony,  at  first 
declares  that  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  determine  which 
of  the  rings  is  the  genuine  one;  then,  after  a  moment's 
thought,  he  recalls  the  statement  that  the  hearts  of  all 
will  be  drawn  toward  him  who  has  it,  and  asks  which  of 

2*  "  Die  Gesta  Romanorum,"  ed.  Wilhelm  Dick,  Erlangen, 
1890,  pp.  65,  66. 

25  "  Nathan  der  Wei«e,"  Act  III,  sc.  7,  11.    395  sqq. 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


347 


the  brothers  is  most  loved  by  the  other  two.  They  are 
honest  enough  to  confess  in  turn  that  each  loves  himself 
the  best.  Thereupon  the  judge  adjourns  the  case  for 
a  few  thousand  years,  during  which  the  race  that  has 
shown  the  greatest  virtues  will  become  the  favored  one, 
and  thus  prove  that  its  ring  was  the  true  one. 

Mediaeval  superstition  did  not  shrink  from  the  belief 
that  some  magicians  had  such  power  over  the  spirits 
of  evil  that  they  could  force  a  demon  to  take  up  his 
abiding-place  in  a  ring,  and  rings  of  this  kind  were 
thought  to  be  powerful  medical  amulets.  In  classic 
times  also  medicine-rings  were  known  and  used,  one 
having  been  given  by  Augustus  to  his  son-in-iaw 
Agrippa.^^ 

It  was  not  uncommon  in  the  Middle  Ages  for  a 
pharmacist  to  make  an  impression  from  a  signet  upon 
his  prescription  as  a  guarantee  that  it  had  been  pre- 
pared by  a  trustworthy  person.  A  fine  specimen  of 
this  type  of  ring  is  one  that  belonged  to  a  certain  Dono- 
bertus.^"^  It  was  found  at  St.  Chamant,  dept.  Correze, 
in  1867.  The  material  is  gold  and  the  ring  was  set  with 
an  antique  carnelian  around  which  is  engraved  on  the 
gold  bezel  a  circular  inscription  signifying  "Donobertus 
has  made  this  medicine."  The  supposition  is  that,  as 
in  so  many  cases,  the  functions  of  the  physician  and  phar- 
macist were  here  exercised  by  the  same  person.^^ 

At  the  trial  of  Jeanne  d'Arc,  her  judges  questioned 
her   closely  regarding  certain  magic  rings  she  was 

Jacobi  Wolffii,  "  Curiosus  amuletorum  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  et  Lipsise,  1692,  p.  574. 

'^'^  M.  Deloche,  Revue  archeologique,  2d  Ser.,  1880,  vol. 
ii,  pp.  1  sqq. 

"  Etude  historique  et  archeologique  sur  les  anneaux  sigil- 
laires,"  Paris,  1900,  pp.  239-242,  fig. 


348 


RINGS 


asserted  to  have  worn.  From  the  tenor  of  the  questions 
we  can  infer  that  Jeanne  was  accused  of  having  used 
the  rings  for  the  cure  of  diseases  and  also  that  they  were 
beheved  to  have  been  set  with  charmed  stones. 

Interrogated  as  to  whether  she  had  any  rings,  Jeanne 
replied:  "  You  have  one  of  mine;  give  it  back  to  me." 
She  added  that  the  Burgundians  had  taken  away 
another,  and  requested  that  if  the  judges  had  the  first- 
mentioned  ring  in  their  possession  they  should  show  it 
to  her.  When  questioned  as  to  who  had  given  her  the 
ring  taken  by  the  Burgundians,  Jeanne  answered  that 
she  had  received  it  in  Domremy,  either  from  her  father 
or  her  mother,  and  that  she  believed  it  was  inscribed 
with  the  names  "  Jhesus  Maria."  She  did  not  know 
who  had  made  the  inscription  and  did  not  believe  there 
was  any  stone  in  the  ring.  She  strenuously  denied  ever 
having  cured  anyone  by  means  of  her  rings.  It  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  simple  straightforward  way  in  which 
Jeanne  refuted  the  accusation  of  witchcraft  that  she 
charged  her  judges  to  give  to  the  church  the  ring  in 
their  possession.^^ 

In  1802  there  was  found  in  Coventry  Park  an 
ancient  gold  ring,  weighing  1  oz.,  13  dwts.,  8  grains, 
and  bearing  a  number  of  religious  designs.  In  the 
central  division  was  depicted  Christ  rising  from  the 
tomb,  the  hammer,  ladder,  sponge  and  other  emblems 
of  the  Passion  being  shown  in  the  background.  In  two 
compartments  on  either  side  were  graven  the  five 
wounds,  with  the  following  Old  English  legends :  "  the 
well  of  everlasting  lyffe,"  "  the  well  of  confort,"  "  the 
well  of  gracy,"  "  the  well  of  pity,"  "  the  well  of  merci." 
Still  existent  traces  evidenced  that  black  enamel  had 


Quicherat,  "  Proces  de  condemnation  et  de  rehabilitation 
de  Jeanne  d'Arc,"  vol.  i,  Paris,  1841,  pp.  86,  87. 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


349 


been  used  in  the  figure  of  Christ,  and  red  enamel  to 
picture  the  wounds  and  the  drops  of  blood.  Inside  the 
hoop  ran  the  following  legend:  "  Vulnera  quinq.  dei 
sunt  medicina  mei,  pia  crux  et  passio  xpi  sunt  medicina 
mihi.  Jaspar,  Melchior,  Baltasar,  ananyzapta  tetra- 
grammaton."  The  whole  signifying  that  the  wounds 
and  Passion  of  Christ  were  to  serve  as  remedial  agents 
for  the  wearer,  the  healing  virtue  of  the  ring  being 
strengthened  by  the  names  of  the  Three  Kings,  by  an 
enigmatic  Gnostic  epithet,  and  by  the  tetragrammaton, 
or  the  four  Hebrew  letters  forming  the  Ineffable  Name. 
A  series  of  sixteen  mourning  rings  "  of  fyne  Gold," 
bequeathed  by  Sir  Edmond  Shaw,  Alderman  of  Lon- 
don, by  his  will  made  about  1487,  were  "to  be  graven 
with  the  well  of  pitie,  the  well  of  mercie,  and  the  well  of 
everlasting  life." 

It  has  been  conjectured  that  the  names  of  the  Magi, 
the  "  Three  Kings,"  Gaspar,  Melchior  and  Balthazar, 
which  nowhere  appear  in  the  Scriptures,  may  have  been 
originally  titles  or  epithets  of  Mithras,  signifying  respec- 
tively "  White  One,"  "  King  of  Light,"  and  "  Lord  of 
Treasures."  The  invocation  or  inscription  of  these 
names  was,  in  early  Christian  and  mediaeval  times,  be- 
lieved to  have  great  curative  effect,  more  especially 
against  epilepsy,  and  hence  they  were  often  engraved  on 
rings.  A  number  of  these  may  be  seen  in  the  British 
Museum.  Cologne  Cathedral  has  been  and  still  is  the 
great  centre  of  attraction  for  all  devotees  of  the  Three 
Kings,  for  their  remains  are  said  to  have  been  brought 

Thomas  Sharp,  "  An  account  of  an  ancient  gold  ring 
found  in  Coventry  Park  in  the  year  1802,"  Archseologia,  vol. 
,  xviii,  pp.  306-308.  The  "  Coventry  Ring "  as  it  has  been 
called  is  now  in  the  British  Museum. 

C.  W.  King,  in  Archceological  Journal,  vol.  xxvi,  p.  234f. 


350 


RINGS 


there  in  1162  from  Milan,  whither  they  had  been  mirac- 
ulously  conveyed  long  before  from  Constantinople. 

Medicinal  rings  were  often  used  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth,  and  one  was  given  to  this  queen  by  Lord 
Chancellor  Hatton.  Writing  to  Sir  Thomas  Smith, 
under  date  of  September  11,  158-  Hatton  says:  "  I 
am  likewise  bold  to  recommend  my  most  humble  duty 
to  our  dear  mistress  [Queen  Ehzabeth]  by  this  letter 
and  ring,  which  hath  the  virtue  to  expell  infectious  airs, 
and  is  (as  it  telleth  me)  to  be  worn  between  the  sweet 
duggs,  the  chaste  nest  of  pure  constancy.  I  trust,  sir, 
when  the  virtue  is  known,  it  shall  not  be  refused  for 
the  value."  This  rather  coarse  flattery  would  not 
offend  the  Virgin  Queen,  who  habitually  indulged  in 
very  plain  speaking. 

A  diamond  ring  said  by  a  faithful  courtier  to  have 
brought  him  health  and  strength  when  he  was  at  death's 
door,  was  one  sent  by  King  James  I  to  Thomas  Sackvil, 
Duke  of  Dorset,  High  Treasurer  both  under  Elizabeth 
and  James.  When,  early  in  June,  1607,  news  was 
brought  the  king  that  his  Treasurer  was  so  dangerously 
ill  that  his  life  was  despaired  of,  he  sent  him  a  rich  gold 
ring  set  with  twenty  diamonds,  five  of  which  were  so 
disposed  as  to  form  a  cross.  With  the  ring  James  sent 
a  special  message,  expressing  the  hope  that  Sackvil 
would  recover  and  might  live  as  long  as  the  diamond 
in  the  ring  endured.   This  proof  of  his  sovereign's  favor 


Pettigrew,  "  On  Superstitions  Connected  with  the  History 
and  Practice  of  Medicine  and  Surgery,"  London,  1844,  p.  67. 
This  letter  is  among  the  Harleian  MSS,  and  was  read  before 
the  Soc.  of  Antiquaries,  Nov.  12,  1772,  according  to  the  Min- 
ute Book  of  the  Society. 


KINGS  OF  HEALING 


351 


called  the  patient  back  to  life,  according  to  his  own 
narration. 

Convulsions  and  fits  were  believed  to  be  cured  by 
rings  made  of  a  silver  coin  representing  the  value  of  a 
number  of  smaller  pieces  of  money,  sixpences  or  even 
pennies,  collected  at  the  church  door  from  those  who 
had  just  been  present  at  a  communion  service.  Should 
this  have  taken  place  on  Easter  Sunday,  the  value  and 
efficacy  of  the  talismanic  ring  made  from  the  offering 
were  much  enhanced.  A  less  religious  source  for  a 
silver  ring  of  this  kind  has  been  reported.  Five  bache- 
lors were  to  contribute  a  sixpence  apiece,  and  a  bache- 
lor was  then  to  convey  the  silver  to  a  blacksmith  who 
was  also  unmarried  and  who  was  to  make  the  ring.  An 
absolute  requisite,  however,  was  that  none  of  the  volun- 
tary contributors  should  have  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
destination  of  his  sixpence.^ ^ 

For  the  cure  of  ulcers,  Johannes  Agricola  advises  the 
wearing  of  rings  made  from  solidified  quicksilver,  dur- 
ing a  conjunction  of  the  moon  with  the  planet  Mercury; 
these  rings  were  to  be  worn  on  the  side  opposite  to  that 
afflicted  with  the  ulcer.^^  This  might  suggest  some 
vague  idea  of  the  fact  that  the  right  hemisphere  of  the 
brain  controls  the  left  side  of  the  body,  and  vice  ver$a, 
although  if  the  eff*ect  of  the  ring  was  to  be  transmitted 
by  reflex  action  of  the  brain,  the  stimulus  must  of  course, 
proceed  from  the  afflicted  side.   It  is  said  that  if  a  reme- 

Arthur   Collins,   "  The   English   Baronage,"  London, 

1727. 

Thomas  Joseph  Pettigrew,  "  Superstitions  Connected 
with  the  History  and  Practices  of  Medicine  and  Surgery." 
London,  1844.  pp.  61,  62. 

Jacobi  Wolfii,  "  Curiosus  amuletorum  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  &  LipsiiE,  1692,  p.  460. 


352 


RINGS 


dial  potion  were  stirred  about  with  the  ring  finger,  the 
heart  would  quickly  realize  the  presence  of  poison,  and 
would  thus  give  warning  against  drinking  it ;  the  fourth 
finger  was  therefore  sometimes  called  the  "medical 
finger." 

The  idea  that  the  ring  possessed  a  mystic  restrain- 
ing power  finds  expression  in  the  curious  custom  of  the 
Bagobos  of  the  Philippine  Islands,  who  encircle  the 
wrists  and  ankles  of  the  dangerously  ill  with  rings  of 
brass  wire,  in  the  belief  that  these  serve  to  keep  the 
soul  from  taking  its  flight.^^  An  analogous,  although 
apparently  contradictory  impulse  induces  the  Greek 
inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Scarpanto  (Carpathus), 
near  Rhodes,  to  take  off  all  rings  from  a  dead  person 
lest  the  soul  should  be  bound  to  the  body  even  after 
death;  the  pressure  of  a  ring  on  the  little  finger  being 
sufficient  to  interfere  with  the  freedom  of  the  spirit. 
Similiar  beliefs  obtained  as  to  the  secret  binding  power 
of  knots. 

A  ring  made  from  the  hoof  of  a  wild  ass  was  sup- 
posed to  possess  medicinal  virtue,  and  one  made  from 
the  hoof  of  a  rhinoceros,  if  placed  on  the  finger,  was 
believed  to  cure  certain  nervous  disorders.  A  ring  of 
rhinoceros-horn  was  a  still  more  powerful  remedial 
agent  and  its  wear  was  favored  in  India  as  an  antidote 
for  poisons  and  to  cure  convulsions  or  spasms.^^  A 
ring  made  from  the  hoof  of  the  elk  possessed  similar 

36  ihid.,  p.  570. 

Blumentritt,  "  Das  Stromgebiet  des  Rio  Grande  de  Min- 
danao," in  Petermann's  Geographische  Mitteilungen,  vol. 
xxxvii,  p.  Ill,  1891. 

3«  Blackwood's  Magazine  for  February,  1886,  p.  238. 
Jacobi  Wolfii,  "  Curiosus  amuletorum  scrutator,"  Fran- 
cofurti  et  Lipsiae,  1692,  pp.  390,  392. 


ASTROLABE  RING,  OF  GOLD 

Two  views,  closed  and  open 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


PHYSICIAN'S  RING  OF  GOLD,  WITH  MINUTE  WATCH  FOR 
COUNTING  THE  PULSE-BEATS 
Beneath  the  watch  is  the  maker's  name,  Kossek  in  Prague.  The 
movement  is  regulated  by  a  slide  at  one  side;  the  hole  for  the  watch  key 
is  on  the  lower  side.   Enameled  leaf-work  decoration.   Two  views 
Albert  Figdor  Collection,  Vienna 


1.  WATCH  RING,  SET  WITH  DIAMONDS 
^2.   WATCH  RING,  SET  WITH  PEARLS 
Showing  the  dial  and  the  movement  of  the  balance 
Eighteenth  Century 


MODERN  WATCH  RING 
Side  and  front  views 


RINGS  OF  HEALING 


353 


virtues,  and  cramps  iB  the  legs  would  be  cured  if  the 
afflicted  part  were  merely  touched  with  such  a  ring. 

As  to  the  mode  in  which  the  elk-hoof  should  be  used 
for  curative  rings  for  epilepsy,  the  old  authorities  dif- 
fered, Goclenius  affirming  that  a  piece  of  the  hoof 
should  be  set  in  a  ring,  while  others  believed  that  the 
entire  ring  should  be  turned  out  of  this  material.  The 
proper  way  of  wearing  it  was  to  place  it  on  the  fourth 
finger,  so  that  it  could  come  in  contact  with  the  palm  of 
the  hand.  The  choice  of  the  particular  hoof  was  also 
matter  for  debate,  some  favoring  that  of  the  left  hind 
foot  and  others  that  of  the  right  one.  Rings  set  with 
teeth  of  the  sea-horse  were  recommended  by  Johann 
Michaeles,  a  famous  physician  of  Leipsic.  A  ring  made 
of  pure  silver,  of  "  the  moon,"  as  the  astrologers  said, 
if  set  in  a  piece  of  elk-hoof,  under  the  zodiacal  sign 
of  Pisces  and  during  a  favorable  conjunction  of  the 
planets,  would  prove  a  certain  cure  for  epilepsy  and  all 
brain  diseases,^^ 

The  Tyrolean  hunters  have  the  same  superstitious 
fancy  as  to  the  talismanic  power  of  an  antelope's  tooth 
set  in  a  ring  as  is  (or  was)  held  in  some  other  parts  of 
the  world  regarding  elks'  teeth  set  in  rings.  Of  the 
Tyrolean  rings,  four  examples  were  disposed  at  the 
sale  in  New  York  in  1913,  of  the  fine  collections  of 
Mr.  A.  W.  Drake.^^ 

A  gold  ring  specially  designed  for  a  physician's  use 
in  counting  pulse-beats  is  to  be  seen  in  the  collection  of 
Dr.  Albert  Figdor,  Vienna.  It  is  set  with  a  watch, 
below  which,  on  the  bezel,  is  inscribed  the  name  of  the 
watchmaker,  Kossek  in  Prague.    The  aperture  for  the 

Ibid.,  p.  32 ;  Sec.  I,  cap.  ii. 

"  Illustrated  Catalogue  of  Mr.  A.  W.  Drake's  famous  col- 
lections," New  York,  1913,  Pt.  I,  Nos.  1757,  1758,  1759,  1760. 

23 


854 


RINGS 


insertion  of  the  watch  key  is  on  the  lower  side,  and  there 
is  a  slide  for  regulating  the  movement  of  the  little  time- 
piece/^ 

Among  healing  rings  none  might  be  thought  to 
promise  better  results  than  the  "  electric  rings,"  made 
of  an  amalgam  of  copper  and  some  other  metal,  which 
are  sold  to  a  considerable  extent,  their  curative  power 
being  supposedly  derived  from  an  electric  charge,  or 
a  generation  of  electricity.  Whatever  good  effects  may 
have  been  observed  as  a  result  of  the  use  of  such  rings, 
presumably  few  would  be  inclined  to  deny  that  one  of 
the  active  agents  in  the  cure  was  the  faith  of  the  wearer, 
which  assuredly  would  fortify  or  supplement  the  bene- 
ficial effects  of  electric  emanations,  where  the  mind 
was  firmly  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  a  curative 
power  existed  in  the  ring. 


Communicated  by  L.  Weininger,  of  Vienna. 


CHAPTER  IX 


RING  MAKING 

THE  modern  methods  of  ring  manufacture  in  the 
United  States  are  far  different  from  those  of  the 
past,  due  to  an  endeavor  to  keep  pace  with  the  growth  of 
the  country  and  with  an  increase  in  production.  Owing 
to  the  introduction  of  modern  systems,  great  quantities 
of  an  article  can  now  be  sold,  which,  though  not  preserv- 
ing the  character  of  the  finest  handiwork,  yet  cost  so 
much  less  to  produce  that  they  can  now  be  offered  at 
greatly  reduced  prices. 

In  the  manufacture  of  the  modern  ring,  there  is  first 
prepared  a  design,  or  even  a  model.  The  initial  process 
consists  in  cutting  this  object  exactly  as  it  will  appear 
when  it  is  finished, — or  such  parts  of  it  as  are  made  by 
measure, — on  what  is  known  as  a  "  hub  "  made  of  soft 
steel.  When  the  design  is  finally  completed,  it  is  hard- 
ened by  heating  and  then  by  dipping  into  water,  oil  or 
other  solution.  When  the  metal  hub  has  been  hardened, 
it  is  forced  into  a  mass  of  soft  steel  by  great  pressure, 
usually  hydraulic,  producing  a  die,  as  it  is  termed,  on 
which  all  the  ornamentation  is  the  reverse  of  that  on  the 
desired  object.  This  die  is  then  hardened. 

The  die  is  placed  on  the  stand  of  the  drop  press,  the 
upperweight  strikes  it  and  forces  the  metal  into  it;  this 
requires  from  four  or  five  to  seven  or  eight  operations. 
Each  time  the  metal  is  struck  it  is  annealed,  then  re- 
struck  and  again  annealed,  until  the  ring  is  ready  for 
trimming.  This  trimming  removes  all  the  superfluous 
metal,  and  the  ring  is  then  in  condition  for  the  jeweller 
to  bend  it  into  a  complete  circle. 

355 


356 


RINGS 


In  the  manufacture  of  many  rings,  the  metal  first 
receives  a  special  form.  The  gold  plates  are  blanked 
and  rolled  to  a  definite  thickness  according  to  the  pat- 
tern of  the  ring  desired,  the  width  being  controlled  by- 
screws  attached  to  the  rolls  themselves.  To  obtain  the 
exact  width,  the  measure  in  which  it  is  placed  can  be 
adjusted  to  cut  a  strip  of  metal  from  a  millimeter,  or 
thinner,  up  to  several  inches  in  width.  It  is  slid  over 
a  roll  and  two  wheels  with  sharp  edges  separate  the 
mass  of  gold  into  exactly  the  desired  widths.  The 
gauges  are  so  exact  as  in  one  instance  to  provide  16 
variations  to  a  millimeter,  approximately  ^/ 25  of  an  inch. 
Another  screw  gauge  is  so  delicate  that  it  can  be  adjusted 
to  the  four-thousandth  of  an  inch. 

Each  piece  is  then  put  in  a  cutter  exactly  the  outline 
of  the  desired  piece,  which,  for  a  ring,  is  usually  quite 
flat.  The  piece  of  metal  then  drops  into  a  cutting  box 
and  a  number  can  be  struck  out  successively  by  simply 
raising  the  press  and  allowing  the  cutter  to  come  down. 
The  metal  is  now  placed  in  another  roll,  which,  in  the 
case  of  the  signet  ring,  rolls  the  sides  thinner  than  the 
head.  When  this  process  is  completed  the  product  is 
put  in  a  gauge  measure  which  measures  the  length  of 
the  ring  from  OA  to  size  13,  on  Allen's  standard  gauge. 
The  ends  of  the  metal  are  then  cut  off  so  that  the  ring 
is  approximately  the  desired  size,  and  the  ends  are  an- 
nealed or  soldered  without  any  further  operation. 

In  most  cases  when  striking  a  signet-ring,  the  top 
is  not  cut  out  entirely.  The  gold  backing  of  the  stone 
is  left,  and  the  head  of  the  ring  is  struck  with  a  concave 
space  so  that  when  the  two  sides  are  brought  down  the 
space  will  remain  flat.  For  transparent  stones,  the  top 
is  cut  out  of  the  setting  entirely.  When  the  rings  are 
finally  completed  they  are  cleaned  by  what  is  known  as 


PRODUCTION  OF  RINGS  WITH  PRECIOUS  STONE  SETTINGS  BY 
MEANS  OF  MACHINERY 
1,  original  blank  struck  from  plate  of  metal.  2,  same  raised,  with  claws 
pointing  upward.  3,  same  reduced.  4,  first  strike  of  a  one-piece  ring. 
5,  second  operation.  6,  third  operation.  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  successive 
stages  in  the  manufacture  of  a  gallery  for  the  ring  - 


SUCCESSIVE  STAGES  IN  THE  FORMATION  OF  A  RING  (MACHINE 
MADE)  FROM  THE  SHAPED,  BENT,  UNORNAMENTED  BAR 
TO  THE  FINISHED  RING 


RING  MAKING 


357 


a  stripping  wheel,  the  reverse  of  a  plating  wheel,  which 
removes  all  the  fire-markings,  and  all  the  other  im- 
purities that  exist,  leaving  the  metal  clean. 

The  rings  are  then  polished  by  rapidly  revolving 
wheels  of  hair, — at  times,  of  other  materials.  After  this, 
the  stones  are  set.  If  the  rings  need  engraving,  they  are 
then  passed  to  an  engraver  and  are  finally  polished, 
leaving  the  metal  entirely  finished. 

In  former  times,  and  now  also,  by  hand  methods'  one 
man  would  frequently  make  an  entire  ring.  By  modern 
methods,  the  ring  passes  through  the  hands  of  a  number 
of  workers:  first,  the  blank-maker,  then  in  succession 
the  man  who  operates  the  drop  press,  the  jeweller,  the 
stone  setter,  the  engraver,  and  finally,  the  polisher. 

As  to  the  statistics  of  ring-making,  with  the  great 
demand  throughout  the  United  States  a  single  factory 
has  produced  3,000,000  rings  a  year,  some  selling  for 
less  than  $1.00  each,  and  on  up  to  $5.00  and  $10.00 
each;  very  occasionally  for  higher  prices,  up  to  $50.00 
or  $60.00.  Recently  to  fill  an  order  for  a  chain  of  popu- 
lar shops,  this  factory  turned  out  2,000,000  rings  to  be 
sold  at  ten  cents  apiece.  In  the  region  of  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  and  the  nearby  Attleboro,  Mass.,  the 
total  value  of  the  annual  ring  output,  which  gives 
employment  to  some  two  thousand  persons,  is  put  at 
$5,000,000.  In  a  factory  of  the  largest  kind,  frequently 
the  various  parts  for  making  up  a  ring  may  be  kept  in 
small  boxes,  because  a  stamper,  in  making  an  intricate 
ring,  is  able  to  produce  more  in  one  day  than  a  jeweller 
can  finish  in  a  week.  In  simple  rings,  however,  the 
jeweller  finishes  as  many  rings  as  the  stamper  can  pro- 
duce in  a  day. 

There  is  no  piece  of  jewellery  that  is  more  generally 
worn  nor  whose  possession  causes  more  joy,  than  a 


358 


RINGS 


finger  ring.  And  the  proper  fitting  of  a  ring  for  com- 
fort in  wearing  it,  or  to  prevent  its  loss,  which  frequently 
would  be  looked  upon  almost  as  a  calamity,  is  something 
that  can  be  attained  by  careful  adjustment  to  the  proper 
size.  Many  fingers  taper  forward.  In  other  fingers, 
the  knuckle  is  very  large  and  the  third  joint  much 
smaller  than  the  knuckle.  Where  the  finger  tapers  from 
the  joint  at  the  hand  to  the  tip  it  is  frequently  difficult 
to  make  a  ring  hold  properly.  But  this  can  be  done  by 
wearing  a  tiny  guard  ring.  In  cases  where  the  finger 
is  much  smaller  between  the  third  and  fourth  joint'  the 
ring  will  turn  around,  which  is  not  only  uncomfortable 
but  makes  the  ornaments  fail  to  show  properly.  This  can 
be  prevented  by  having  the  hoop  penannular  in  shape,  or 
by  the  addition  of  an  internal  spring. 

To  prevent  the  rubbing  together  of  two  rings  worn 
on  the  same  finger,  and  the  resulting  attrition,  which  in 
the  lapse  of  years  sometimes  v/ears  down  a  gold  ring 
until  the  hoop  becomes  so  thin  that  it  may  crack,  a  simple 
device  has  been  patented.  This  is  a  narrow  circlet  which 
may  be  made  of  ivory  or  any  other  suitable  material.  It 
has  a  thin  vertical  flange  just  high  enough  to  interpose 
between  the  rings  that  are  to  be  kept  apart,  and  two 
horizontal  flanges  to  pass  beneath  the  hoops  of  the  rings. 

To  protect  two  rings  from  rubbing  against  each 
other,  an  exceedingly  narrow  gold  circlet  is  worn  be- 
tween them.  Where  there  is  risk  that  a  hard  stone  in 
one  ring  will  come  in  contact  with  a  pearl  in  the  other, 
or  a  diamond  with  any  other  stone,  necessarily  softer, 
one  or  more  very  small  beads  are  welded  on  that  part  of 
the  hoop  nearest  to  the  setting.  In  cases  where  a  treas- 
ured ring  has  worn  almost  to  the  thinness  of  paper,  it  is 
possible  to  strengthen  it  by  adding  gold  at  either  side 
of  the  hoop. 


RING  MAKING 


359 


The  size  of  the  finger  is  often  recorded  by  what  is 
known  as  the  Allen  gauge,  a  tapering  stick  numbered 
from  1  to  size  13  in  half  sizes.  To  this  stick  is  attached  a 
chain,  and  pendant  to  the  chain  is  a  series  of  rings  of 
graduated  sizes.  When  it  is  decided  which  ring  of  the 
series  best  fits  the  finger,  it  is  sHpped  on  the  gauge  and 
its  size  ascertained.  If  size  6  is  a  httle  tight  and  6^  a 
trifle  loose,  this  indicates  that  6J4  is  the  correct  size. 

In  measuring  the  finger  for  a  ring,  by  Engelmann's 
Ring,  Finger  and  Millimeter  Locking  Gauge,  the  ring 
is  set  over  the  outside  perpendicular  ends  of  the  gauge 
(see  plate).  These  are  then  separated  to  their  fullest 
extent,  so  that  they  touch  the  ring  on  both  sides.  The 
exact  size  of  the  ring  is  thus  indicated  on  the  scale 
over  the  mark  on  the  movable  upper  part  of  the  right- 
hand  end. 

To  measure  the  size  of  a  finger,  the  ends  should  be 
separated  sufficiently  to  permit  the  finger  to  pass  through 
the  aperture  between  them.  They  are  then  to  be  closed 
so  as  to  touch  lightly — not  pinch  or  squeeze — the  flesh 
of  the  finger.  When  this  has  been  done  the  ends  are 
locked,  and  if  the  knuckle  passes  easily  through  the 
aperture,  the  right  size  has  been  found.  This  is  recorded 
on  the  scale  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  ring  measurement. 
In  measuring  the  finger  of  either  a  child,  boy,  girl,  or 
woman,  who  has  not  a  large  or  high  knuckle,  a  safe  rule 
is  to  add  a  ring-size  to  that  which  has  been  indicated 
by  the  measurement. 

The  width  of  the  metal  ring-shank  is  ascertained  by 
placing  its  lower,  centre  part  between  the  two  inside  per- 
pendicular ends,  and  the  exact  dimensions  will  be  made 
apparent  on  the  millimeter  scale.  Where  the  shank  is 
tapered,  the  maximum  and  minimum  widths  must  be 
taken,  and  these  must  both  be  stated  in  ordering  a  ring. 


360 


RINGS 


An  unset  stone  is  to  be  measured  in  the  way  just 
described,  maximum  and  minimum  widths  being  taken ; 
for  this  purpose  also,  only  the  extreme  pointed  ends  are 
to  be  used;  these  dimensions  should  be  correctly  stated 
when  the  ring  is  ordered. 

To  alter  a  ring  to  any  size,  place  the  lower,  centre 
part  of  the  shank  over  the  scale  and  estimate  the  width 
of  metal  to  be  taken  off  or  added,  respectively,  by  the 
millimeter-lines. 

Where  the  proper  measuring  devices  are  not  attain- 
able, resource  may  be  had  to  various  simple  expedients. 
For  instance,  a  bit  of  copper  wire  can  be  used;  one  end 
is  turned  so  as  to  form  an  eye,  and  through  this  the  other 
end  is  drawn  until  the  circle  fits  the  finger ;  the  free  end  is 
then  twisted  to  keep  it  from  slipping  back.  In  this  way 
the  exact  size  of  a  finger  can  be  obtained.  It  is  also 
possible  to  have  the  wire  notched  so  as  to  indicate  the 
standard  numbers  of  rings,  or  better  still,  to  have  them 
stamped  on  a  narrow,  fiat  strip  of  copper  or  steel'  with 
a  slot  at  one  end,  through  which  the  other  end  can  be 
passed  and  turned  down  when  the  band  has  closely 
encircled  the  finger.  Of  course,  these  simple  methods 
need  only  be  resorted  to  when  the  prospective  buyer  is 
ordering  a  ring  by  mail  or  messenger,  as  jewellers  are 
always  provided  with  instruments  for  taking  the  exact 
measurement  of  the  fingers. 

A  new  and  practical  invention  is  that  of  a  "  display 
ring,"  by  means  of  which  the  jeweller  can  enable  anyone 
who  desires  to  order  a  ring,  to  judge  of  the  effect  of 
various  stones  when  worn  as  ring  settings.  This  little 
device  is  open  at  one  end,  the  metal  band  being  flexible 
enough  to  yield  to  slight  pressure  applied  to  both  sides. 
In  front,  on  either  side,  are  two  claws,  which  open  up 
and  grasp  the  stone  when  the  pressure  is  relaxed.  Thus 


RING  MAKING 


361 


one  gem  after  another  can  be  displayed.  Sets  of  these 
display-rings  are  made  comprising  eighteen  different 
sizes/ 

When  a  ring  has  become  painfully  and  injuriously 
tight  on  a  finger,  a  simple  method  and  often  efficacious, 
for  its  removal,  is  to  take  several  feet  of  cotton  cord, 
soak  this  in  soapsuds,  glycerine,  or  oil,  and  pass  one  end 
of  it  under  the  ring,  leaving  about  six  inches  loosely 
hanging  down.  The  other  end  of  the  cord  is  then  to 
be  wound  tightly  around  the  finger,  beginning  close  to 
the  ring  and  continuing  over  the  middle  joint  up  to  the 
end  of  the  finger.  If  left  on  for  a  while,  the  cord  com- 
presses the  flesh  to  such  an  extent  that  when  it  is  un- 
wound by  pulling  at  the  loose  end  hanging  down  from 
the  base  of  the  finger,  the  ring  will  be  gradually  and 
painlessly  forced  off.  In  very  serious  cases'  it  is  safest 
to  file  through  the  hoop  and  bend  it  open  sufficiently  to 
free  the  finger.  The  trifling  injury  to  the  ring  can 
easily  be  repaired,  leaving  it  in  all  respects  in  its  original 
condition. 

A  ring  that  fits  too  tightly  may  become  a  source  of 
serious  injury  to  the  wearer  in  course  of  time.  This 
applies  especially  to  engagement  or  wedding-rings,  for 
many  wearers  have  a  sentimental,  or  even  superstitious 
disinclination  to  remove  such  a  ring  after  it  has  once 
been  placed  on  the  finger  by  the  cherished  donor.  Slight 
as  the  effects  appear  to  be,  since  the  progressive  tight- 
ening is  so  very  gradual,  there  have  been  cases  where  the 
increasing  plumpness  of  a  hand  has  caused  the  pressure 
of  the  ring  to  become  so  intense  as  to  induce  an  affection 
of  the  arm,  rendering  it  liable  to  serious  trouble  in  case 
of  an  attack  of  rheumatism  or  a  severe  cold.    In  some 

^  Patent  application  filed  April  3,  1912,  by  Monroe  Engels- 
man,  and  serial  number  688,244. 


362 


RINGS 


cases,  when  such  a  tight  ring  has  been  cut  from  the  hand, 
the  present  writer  has  seen  that  the  entire  finger  under 
the  ring  was  an  open  wound,  occasionally  a  deep  one.^ 

Throughout  Europe— England  and  the  Continent- 
narrow  gold  rings  are  generally  worn,  almost  invariably 
of  22-carat  gold;  among  the  poorer  classes,  the  standard 
falls  to  18-carat — never  lower.  In  the  United  States 
the  correct  wedding  ring  is  a  22-carat  ring,  but  away 
from  the  large  cities  and  among  their  less  prosperous 
inhabitants  18-carat  rings  are  worn  to  a  considerable 
extent.  These  are  often  two,  three,  or  four  times  the 
weight  of  the  European  22-carat  ring,  flatter  and  sharp 
on  the  edges,  thus  cutting  the  finger.  Frequently  per- 
spiration under  the  ring  will  cause  the  finger  to  become 
sore  and  infected.  The  narrow  ring  is  more  rounded 
on  the  inside  and  never  infects  the  finger  in  any  way. 

Charges  of  selling  illegally  stamped  wedding-rings 
have  recently  been  preferred  in  a  New  York  court.  The 
proceedings  were  instituted  under  paragraph  431  of  the 
Penal  Law.  The  marking  in  one  case  was  "14  Kt.  Vio," 
this  having  been  stated  to  signify  that  nine-tenths  of  the 
metal  was  14-carat  gold  and  one-tenth  of  some  baser 
metal.  The  real  meaning,  however,  appears  to  be  that 
one-tenth  is  of  14-carat  gold,  the  remaining  nine-tenths 
being  alloy.  The  ring  was  found  to  weigh  72  grains,  and 
on  being  tested  at  the  United  States  Assay  Ofiice,  the 
fineness  of  the  entire  metal  was  determined  to  be  52/1000, 
equivalent  to  a  fineness  of  but  12^^  carats  for  the  one- 
tenth  represented  to  be  of  14-carat  gold.  The  utmost 
variation  from  standard  permitted  by  the  statute  is  one 
carat.  The  quantity  of  pure  gold  in  such  a  ring  would 
only  be  about  3%  grains,  worth  a  fraction  over  16  cents. 
The  rings  were  sold  for  $3.75  and  $4.  

^  George  Frederick  Kunz,  "  The  Etiquette  of  Gems,"  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post,  June  27,  1908,  p.  29. 


RING  MAKING 


363 


An  alarm  ring,  giving  the  wearer  timely  notice  if 
its  stone  setting  should  fall  out,  has  recently  been  in- 
vented. Beneath  the  stone,  a  needle  traversing  the  ring 
is  so  adjusted  to  a  coiled  spring  that  if  the  stone  drops 
out,  the  spring  is  released,  and  the  needle-point  gives  a 
slight  prick  to  the  wearer's  finger.  The  idea  is  ingenious 
enough  and  the  ring  may  find  favor  among  those  who 
value  their  ring-stones  enough  to  endure  a  "  sharp  re- 
minder "  of  their  loss  when  this  helps  their  recovery.^ 

A  curious  and  interesting  example  of  inlaying,  is  a 
gold  ring  owned  by  B.  G.  Fairchild,  Esq.,  of  New 
York.  In  the  flat  bezel  have  been  inserted  two  winged 
figures,  cut  in  intaglio  on  pieces  of  brown  chalcedony. 
As  there  is  no  margin  of  stone  showing  about  the  figures, 
the  effect  is  very  striking,  the  chalcedony  appearing  to 
be  naturally  embedded  in  the  gold.  This  is  a  production 
of  antique  art. 

In  designing  a  ring  the  goldsmith  must  constantly 
bear  in  mind  that  only  the  upper  part,  less  than  half  the 
circle,  will  be  displayed,  and  he  should  thus  carefully 
avoid  regarding  the  whole  ring  as  an  ornamental  object 
and  chasing  or  adorning  the  part  that  will  not  be  shown. 
To  this  end  he  is  advised  to  model  the  design  in  wax  on 
the  circlet  itself,  rather  than  to  work  from  a  sketch  or 
drawing.  If  any  plant  or  other  nature  form  enters  into 
his  composition,  he  should,  where  possible,  have  a  speci- 
men before  him  while  he  works,  so  that  whatever  modi- 
fications or  adaptations  he  may  make  will  not  violate  the 
main  lines  of  the  natural  type.  In  making  a  ring  of  solid 
metal,  it  is  either  cast  in  the  desired  form,  or  hammered 
from  a  cast.  After  the  metal  has  been  annealed,  the 
design  is  sketched  on  in  black  water-color;  it  is  then 
outlined  with  a  small  round-edged  tracing-tool  and  the 


3  U.  S.  Patent,  No.  1,179,025,  April  11,  1916, 


364 


RINGS 


groundwork  is  chiselled  away.  The  design  can  now  be 
finished  with  chasing  tools/ 

The  making  of  finger  rings  as  well  as  of  everything 
else  has  been  strongly  influenced  by  machine  production. 
Cloth  is  machine-made,  pictures  are  lithographed,  lace, 
macaroni,  and  even  small  houses  are  now  produced  with 
an  exactness  that  was  never  before  possible.  But,  un- 
fortunately, with  the  dominance  of  the  "  machine-made  " 
product,  the  artistic  quality  is  entirely  obliterated.  Rings 
are  now  made  in  such  vast  quantities  that  exactness  of 
reproduction  is  the  great  aim.  Thus  while  the  initial 
design  may  possess  a  certain  measure  of  originality,  the 
single  ring  of  the  type,  one  out  of  thousands  or  tens  of 
thousands  stamped  out  of  the  same  model,  necessarily 
lacks  that  personal  touch  which  alone  can  produce  a  truly 
artistic  object. 

Names  of  the  Ring  ^  in  Various  Foreign  Languages. 

Anglo-Saxon  ,  ,.Hringe 

Arabic  Khatam,  mahbas 

Babylonian  Shemiru,  lulimtu? 

Bohemian,  Serbo-Croatian. .  .  Kruh,  prsten 

Bulgarian .   Prsten 

Chinese  Pan-chih,  chah  huan® 

Danish  Ring 

Dutch  Ring 

French  Anneau,  bague 

Gaelic  (Erse)  Fainne,  failbeagh 

German  Ring 

Greek,  ancient  AaKzoXco?,  daKtoXidtov 

Greek,  modem  AaKrhXidi 

Hebrew  Tabba^ath,  hotham 

^  H.  Wilson,  "  Silverware  and  Jewelry,"  New  York,  1903, 
pp.  110,  111. 

^  The  word    ring  "  belongs  to  the  Teutonic  language  group, 
and  etymologically  it  is  what  is  termed  common  Teutonic. 
^  Archer's  thumb  ring. 


RING  MAKING 


365 


.  .  .Anello 

.  ,  Inel 

Ruthenian  (Little  Russian). . Persten 

.  .  MUR  (KHAR) 

 Ring 

Welsh  

The  following  hints  as  to  the  proper  pronunciation 
of  some  of  the  rare  words  in  the  above  list  have  been 
kindly  furnished  by  Prof.  John  Dyneley  Prince,  of  Co- 
lumbia University,  who  has  also  supplied  several  of  the 
names : 

In  prsten  (Bulgarian,  Bohemian  and  Serbo-Croa- 
tian) ,  the  r  has  a  peculiar  rolling  sound  with  an  inherent 
vowel;  this  cannot  be  correctly  reproduced  in  English 
spelling.  The  ci  of  Polish  piercien  is  pronounced  like 
the  Italian  ci  (chee).   Little  Russian  (Ruthenian)  and 

^  Plain  ring. 

®  Ring  set  with  a  stone. 


366 


RINGS 


Russian  persten  means  literally  "  finger-thing."  In  the 
Lithuanian  ziedas,  the  z  is  pronounced  like  French  j, 
or  our  z  and  azure.  The  Hungarian  gyiirii  sounds  like 
dyii-rii;  it  means  something  rolled.  The  t  in  Hebrew, 
Arabic  and  Syriac  is  an  explosive  t  unknown  in  Eng- 
lish; the  letter  rendered  by  the  sign  is  a  deep,  guttural 
and  faucal  exhalation.  Irish  fainne  is  pronounced  fau- 
in-nye,  and  the  Welsh  hodrwy  is  sounded  as  bod-roo-ee. 

The  word  "  ring,"  tabba-ath,  appears  once  in  Genesis 
(xli :  42 ) ,  the  ring  given  by  Pharaoh  to  Joseph ;  six  times 
in  Esther  iii:  10,  12;  viii:2,  8  (bis),  10,  the  ring  of 
Ahasuerus.  In  the  New  Testament  the  ring  is  men- 
tioned once  in  Luke  xv:  22,  the  ring  given  the  Prodigal 
Son;  and  once  in  the  Epistle  of  James,  ii:  2.  The  word 
"  rings,"  as  finger-rings,  occurs  in  Exodus  xxxv:  22,  of 
the  offerings  of  the  people  of  Israel  in  the  desert;  in 
Numbers  xxxi:  50;  in  Canticles  v:  14  (this  is  probably 
to  be  rendered  "  rods  "),^  and  in  Isaiah  iii:  21.  That 
rings  should  be  so  rarely  alluded  to  in  the  Old  Testament 
might  seem  to  prove  that  they  were  not  as  extensively 
worn  in  the  land  of  Israel  as  some  have  assumed.  The 
finest  ancient  Hebrew  signet  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  time 
of  Jeroboam  II,  King  of  Israel  (790-749  ?  B.C.),  found 
at  Megiddo.  This  is  the  seal  of  Shemai,  the  King's  Min- 
ister of  State.  It  is  of  jasper  and  bears  the  finely  en- 
graved figure  of  a  lion.  The  form  is  oval  and  the  seal 
measures  3.7  by  2.7  cm.^^  

^  The  word  used  here  and  also  in  Num.  xxxi :  50  is  glilim. 
hotham  means  a  seal-ring  in  Jeremiah  xxii :  24. 

^^Mitteilungen  and  Nachrichten  des  deutschen  Palastina- 
Vereins,  1904,  pp.  1  sqq. 


INDEX 


A 

Aah-hotep,  Queen,  signet  of,  117 
Abbots'  rings,  280 

Abbott,  Dr.,  Egyptian  collection  of,  118 
Abbesses'  rings,  280 
Aberdeen,  Earl  of,  339 
Achametis,  on  dreams  of  rings,  298 
Add-a-link  ring,  93 
Adjustable  rings,  93 
Adler,  Cyrus,  viii 
iElian,  32 

African  rings,  64,  83,  84,  328 
Agate,  81,  87.  335 

Agincourt,  rings  found  on  battlefield  of, 
165 

Agla  motto  on  healing  rings,  339 
Agricola,  Johannes,  on  healing  rings,  351 
Ahasuerus,  signet  of,  116 
Ahlstan,  Bishop  of  Sherbourne,  ring  of, 
271 

Albert,  Prince,  225 

Albertus  Magnus,  on  virtues  of  talis- 
mans, 311 

Alexander  the  Great,  signet  of,  123 

Alfonso  X,  Lapidario  of,  304,  305 

Alfonso  XIII,  old  usage  said  to  have 
been  observed  at  marriage  of,  213 

AUiot,  Hector,  viii 

Amber,  104,  341 

entire  rings  of,  104 

Ambrose,  St.,  128 

Amelia,  Princess,  Memorial  ring  of,  43 
Amenhotep  IV  (Akhenaten),  ring  of,  67 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
65 

American  rings,  17-30,  47,  84,  85,  108 
Amethyst,  34,  50,  73,  86,  111,  125.  126, 

158,  227,  252,  279,  328,  335 
Andalusite,  86 
Anglo-Saxon  rings,  195 

of  Bishop  Ahlstan,  271 

of  Ethelwulf,  173,  174 

of  Ethelswith,  173,  174 
Anhalt,  princess  of,  magic  ring  of,  316, 
_317 

Annay,  Sir  William  d',  ring  given  to 

by  Richard  Coeur-de-Lion,  177 
Anne,  St.,  betrothal  ring  of,  261 
Anne  of  Denmark,  189 


Antiochus  IV,  Epiphanes,  signet  of,  125 

Antoninus  Pius,  head  of,  on  signet,  140 

Anularius,  a  ring-maker,  16 

Anuli  natalitii,  15 

Anulus  pronubus,  193 

ApoUonius  of  Tyana,  magic  rings  of, 

296,  325 
Aquamarine,  158 
Aquinas,  St.  Thomas,  211 
Arabic  rings,  Mohammed's  seal,  141 
with  carnelians,  141 
mottoes  and  devices  on,  142 
Archaeological  Institute,  London,  73 
Archers'  rings,  87,  105-108 
Aristophanes,  of  rings,  9 
Aristotle,  blamed  by  Plato  for  wearing 

rings,  32 

Arnulphus,  Bishop  of  Metz,  ring  of,  269 

Art  nouveau  rings,  87 

Artemidora,  mummy-case  of,  51 

Artemidorus,  rings  in  dream-book  of,  37 

Arundel  collection,  171 

Arundel,  Thomas,  keeper  of  jewels  of 

Edward  the  Confessor's  shrine,  175 
Assyrian  and  Babylonian  rings,  3 

ancient  contract  as  to  emerald  set 
in  one,  4,  5 
Assyrian  jewellers'  firm,  4 
Astle,  Thomas,  155 
Astrolabe  ring,  88 
Auckland,  Lord,  101 
Augustine,  St.,  299 
Augustus,  336,  347 

signet  of,  130,  131 
Aurelian's  seal  ring,  133 
Austrian  rings,  87,  110 
Avery,  Samuel  P.,  66 
Avitus,  Archbishop  of  Vienne,  letter  of, 

describing  ring,  266,  267,  277 
Aztecs,  treasures  of  the,  19 

silversmiths  of  the,  20 

finger-rings  of  the,  20 

B 

Bachaumont,  Louis  Petit  de,  76 
Bacon,  Francis,  on  telepathic  test  with 

a  ring,  326,  327 
Bachaumont,  Louis  Petit  de,  76 


367 


368 


INDEX 


Bacon,  Francis,  on  telepathic  test  with 
a  ring,  326,  327 

Bacula,  little  rod  for  rings,  55 

Bagobos  of  Philippine  Islands,  supersti- 
tions of  the,  352 

Balas-ruby,  276 

Bardel,  W.,  x 

Barlow,  Hon.  Peter  T.,  vii,  153 

Barr,  Miss  Ada  M.,  vii 

Barrow,  F.  H.,  viii 

Beatty,  W.  Gedney,  vii 

Beauvoisin,  Mile,  de,  rings  owned  by,  76 

Becket,  St.  Thomas  a,  ring  taken  from 
shrine  of,  182,  183 

Beefsteak  Club  memorial  rings,  47 

Benedict  XIV,  281 

Bequests  of  signets,  149 

Berghem  Lodowyck  van  (Louis  de  Ber- 
quen)  cuts  diamonds  for  Charles  the 
Bold,  215 

Bequet,  Albert,  59 

Berlin  Mineralogical  Museum,  108 

Berlin  Royal  Museum,  67 

Bernard  of  Clairvaux,  St.,  signet  of,  145 

Bernhard  IV,  Margrave  of  Baden,  por- 
trait of,  62 

Berteildis,  wife  of  Dagobert  I,  signet  of, 
138 

Beryl,  134,  158,  252,  334,  335 
Besborough  collection,  73 
Betrothal  rings,  see  wedding  rings 
Bible,  rings  mentioned  in  the,  1,  115, 

116,  336 
Bibliotheque  Nationale,  162 
Bibliotheque  du  Roi  (later  Bibliotheque 

Nationale),  139 
Bingham,  Hiram,  viii 

Inca  rings  found  by,  in  Peru,  83 
Bishop,  Heber  R.,  collection,  55,  105, 

106 

Bishops'  rings,  of  AUstan,  Bishop  of 
Sherborne,  271 
of  Arnulphus,  Bishop  of  Metz,  269 
of  Ebba,  Bishop  of  Rheims,  270 
of  Bishop  of  Flambard,  275 
of  Bishop  GeofiFroy  Rufus,  275 
of  Archbishop  Greenfield,  272 
of  Bishop  Hervee,  273 
of  Hilary,  Bishop  of  Chichester,  272 
Innocent  Ill's  definition  of,  273 
of  Archbishop  Parker,  276 
of  Seffrid,  Bishop  of  Chichester,  272 
of  Archbishop  Sewell,  272 
of  Archbishop  Sigfroi,  274 
of  Bishop  John  Stanberry,  275 


Bishops'  rings,  stolen  by  Piers  Gaves- 

ton,  276 
set  with  green  tourmalines,  276 
of  Bishop  William  of  St.  Barbara, 

275 

of  Bishop  Wykeham,  275 
of  Wytlesey,  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, 275 
Blake,  W.  W.,  ix 

Blakeslee  collection,  portraits  in,  show- 
ing ring  wearing,  62 

Bloodstone,  158,  191,  331 

Bohemian  garnet  wings,  109 

Boleyn,  Anne,  sends  "cramp  rings,"  343 

Boniface  IV,  mention  of  pontifical  ring 
in  decree  of,  267 

Boniface  VIII,  ring  found  in  tomb  of, 
273 

magic  ring  of,  306 
Bonza,  Buddhist  priest,  rings  made  by, 

_82 

Beog,  Theodore  de,  vii 
"  Book  of  Thetel,"  magic  ring  describee^ 
in,  311 

Borde,  Andrew,  on  cramp  rings,  343 
Borgia,  Cesare,  motto  in  poison-ring  of, 
37 

Borgia,  Lucrezia,  rings  at  betrothal  of, 
215 

Borgias,  poison  rings  of  the,  37 
Borough,  Sir  Edward,  wins  diamond 

ring  at  tournament,  181 
Bossuet,  Jacques  Beminge,  memorial 

ring  given  him  by  Princess  Henrietta 

Anne,  45 

Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  192 
Braddock,  Charles  S.,  Jr.,  ix 
Brandon,  Thomas,  Earl  of  Suffolk,  wins 

ruby  ring  at  tournament,  181 
Brantome,  Pierre  de  Boudeilles,  Seig- 

neux  de,  168 
Branualdius,  300 
Brass  rings,  82,  84,  352 
Brera  gallery,  Milan,  203 
British  Museum,  x,  5,  35,  39,  40,  44,  50, 

58,  68,  69,  75,  82,  86,  89,  98,  99,  100, 

104,  136,  143,  150,  151,  173,  197,  251, 

257,  293 
Bronze  age,  rings  of  the,  2 
Bronze  rings,  58,  89,  109,  251,  257,  293 
Broun,  W.  H.,  entire  emerald  ring, 

owned  by,  103 
Brouwer,  Bart,  entire  diamond  ring  by, 

105 

Brummagem  rings,  113,  114 


INDEX 


369 


Burgundian  rings,  73 
Burmese  rings,  82 
Butler,  Samuel,|194,  222 
Buxtorf,  Johann,  on  Hebrew  betrothal 
rings,  203 

Byzantine  rings,  143,  144-146,  161,  197, 
256,  338 

C 

Csesar,  Julius,  signet  of,  130 
Caius,  St.,  ring  of,  261 
Caligula,  head  of,  on  ring,  133 
Cambodian  rings,  82 
Camden,  William,  183 
Campbell,  Archibald,  ring  of,  182 
Cantacuzene,  Emperor,  146 
Canute,  King,  ring  found  on  body  of, 
179 

Caracalla,  head  of,  on  signet,  140 
Cardinals'  rings,  sapphire  used  for,  276 

various  stones  used  for  in  earlier 
times,  276 

cost  of,  277 

of  Cardinal  Farley,  278 
in  portraits,  278 
Carlomans'  signet  ring,  140 
Carlyle,  Thomas,  324 
Carnelian,  6,  125,  141,  158,  269,  318, 
323,  328 
entire  rings  of,  100 
Casa  Grande,  Arizona,  rings  found  at,  17 
Casimir,  John,  Count  Palatine,  medal 

of,  with  figure  of  diamond  ring,  171 
Catharine  von  Bora,  ring  commemorat- 
ing her  marriage  to  Martin  Luther, 
216,  217 

Cathoir  the  Great,  called  "Hero  of 

Rings,"  191 
Cat's-eye,  78 

"Celestial  stones"  in  rings,  330 
"Cent  Nouvelles  Nouvelles,"  story  of  a 

ring  in,  215 
Cesnola  collection  of  Cypriote  antiqui- 
ties, 119 

Chalcedony,  74,  124,  158,  159,  334,  335, 
363 

entire  rings  of,  100,  258-261 
Charioteer's  ring,  33 
Charlemagne,  ring  of,  300-302 
Charles  the  Bald,  letter  of,  to  Pope 

Nicholas  I,  270 
Charles  I,  153,  189,  190 

memorial  rings  of,  41 

signet  of,  as  Prince  of  Wales,  156, 
157 

as  king,  157 


Charles  II,  sealed  with  diamond  signet 
of  his  father,  157 
gave  ring  to  Judge  Jeffreys,  191 
Charles  IV,  Emperor,  259 
Charles  V,  of  France,  signet  of,  146 
Charles  the  Bald,  letter  of,  to  Pope 

Nicholas  I,  270 
Charlotte,  Queen,  151 
Chase,  William  M.,  viii 
Chaves  Pass,  Arizona,  ring  found  at,  17 
Chifflet,  Jean  Jacques,  139 
Childeris  I,  signet  of,  138-140 
Chindaswinthe,     Visigoth  sovereign, 

promulgated  law  regarding  betrothal 

rings,  200 

Chinese  rings,  81,  85,  105-108,  248, 

319-321 
Chlorastrolite,  335 
Chrysoberyl,  86 
Chrysolite,  see  peridot 
Chrysoprase,  34 

Chrysostom,  St.  John,  on  ring  inscrip- 
tions, 135 
Church,  Sir  Arthur  Herbert,  86 
Church  collection,  86 
Cicero,  tells  how  Verres  had  rings  made, 
16 

of  ring  seized  by  Verres,  127 
Cigarette  ring,  94 

Clemens  Alexandrinus,  14, 121, 133, 199, 
296 

Clement  IV,  Pope,  "Fisherman's  Ring" 
of,  263 

Clement  V,  Pope,  stones  used  in  ecclesi- 
astical rings  in  time  of,  276 
Clement  VIII,  Pope,  263 
Cleopatra,  signet  of,  126 
Cleveland  Museum  of  Art,  90 
Clotaire  II,  coin  of,  set  in  ring,  162 
Clothilda,  receives  betrothal  ring  from 

Clovis  I  in  493  a.d.,  201,  202 
Clovis  I  of  France,  on  bishops'  signets, 
137 

Coats-of-arms  on  signet  rings,  149 

Coello,  Claudio.  59 

Coins  set  in  rings,  162 

Coke,  Sir  Edward,  historic  ring  be- 
queathed by,  189 
diamond  ring  of,  189 

College  of  Arms,  London,  gift  to,  by 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  181 

Color  of  stones  in  bishops'  rings,  sig- 
nificance of,  274,  275 

Columbus,  Knights  of,  rings  of,  S32 

Commodus,  signet  of,  131 


> 


370 


INDEX 


"Communion  rings,"  351 
Comnenus,  Alexis,  signet-ring  of,  144 
Comnenus,  John,  144 
"Cone-shell"  rings,  17 
Congo,  King  of  the,  thumb  ring  of,  64 
Conlegium  anularium,  16 
Constantius  II,  signet  of,  161 
Copper  rings,  19,  20.  22,  84,  328 
Coral,  63,  78,  341 
Cordierite,  86 
Corean  rings,  107 

Coronation  ring,  Enghsh,  174,  282,  283 
Coronation  ring,  French,  284 
Cortes,  Feman,  19 
Corundum,  86 

Cosmas  and  Damian,  Sts.,  effigies  of,  on 

a  healing  ring,  338 
"Cramp  rings,"  341-345 
Cranach,  Lucas,  61 
Crisp  collection  of  memorial  rings,  43 
Culin,  Stewart,  vii 

Curry,  James,  bought  Henrietta  Maria's 

signet,  156 
Cushing,  Frank  H.,  21,  22 
Cypriote  rings,  6,  7,  111,  119,  120 
Cyrianides,  magic  rings  described  in,  295 

D 

Dactyliotheca,  53,  54 
Dactylomancy,  299,  308 
Daggett,  Frank  S.,  viii 
Dalhousie,  Lord,  103 
Dalton,  O.  M.,  39,  150 
Damer,  Miss  Dawson,  225 
Daniel,  Book  of,  signet  mentioned  in, 
115 

Darius  III,  signet  of,  123 

Darnley,  Henry,  Lord,  wedding  ring  of, 

217,  218 
Dashur,  rings  found  at,  68 
Davenant,  Sir  William,  of  a  rush-ring, 

206 

Death,  removing  of  rings  in  case  of,  134 
Decade  rings,  34 
DeForest,  Robert  W.,  vii 
Deloche,  M.,  10,  58,  140 
Dial  rings,  39,  87 

Diamond,  78,  89,  98,  99,  101,  167-170, 
181,  183,  189,  215,  227,  235,  252, 
278,  288,  334 
entire  rings  of,  105 

Divining  with  rings,  299 

Divorce  rings,  235 

Dixon,  Joseph  K.,  viii 

Doctors*  rings,  266 

Domenico  dei  Camei,  gem  engraver,  148 


Domna,  Julia,  wife  of  Septimius 
Severus,  causes  Philostratus  to  write 
life  of  ApoUonius  of  Tyana,  296 

Drake,  Alexander  Wilson,  85,  86,  217 

Drake,  Mrs.  Alexander  W.,  vii,  217 

Drake  collection,  85,  353 

Dreams  about  rings,  37,  104,  132,  298 

Dry  den,  John,  312 

on  gimmal  ring,  219 

Durant,  Guillaume,  Bishop  of  Mende, 
on  spiritual  meaning  of  wedding  ring, 
207 

Dutt,  Dasmodar,  Hindu  portraitist,  63 
Dynamite  rings,  110 

E 

Ebbo,  Bishop  of  Rheims,  ring  sent  to, 
by  mother  of  Charles  the  Bald,  270 

Ecgberht,  Archbishop  of  York,  267 

Byron,  Lord,  signet  owned  by,  152 

Eden,  Hon.  Miss,  101 

Edward  the  Confessor's  ring,  162,  174, 
176,  342,  343 

Edward  I,  tomb  of,  opened  in  1774,  179 

Edward  II,  276 

Edward  III,  315 

gives  ruby  ring,  180 

Edward  IV,  decree  of,  against  spurious 
rings,  114 

Edward  VI,  343 

marriage  service  in  prayer-book  of, 
204 

Eglamore,  Sir,  mediaeval  romance,  magic 

ring  in,  310 
Egmont's  poison  ring,  38,  39 
Egyptian  rings,  1,  5,  6,  51,  67,  68,  96, 

117,  118,  249 
Eisen,  Gustavus  A.,  vii 
Eleanora,  Empress  of  Germany,  ring  of, 

168 

Eleazar's  magic  ring,  294,  295 
Electric  curative  rings,  354 
Electrum  rings,  110,  314 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  49,  149,  152,  162,  169, 
219 

diamond  ring  given  by,  to  Mary, 

Queen  of  Scots,  183,  184 
ring  given  by,  to  Essex,  186-188 
portrait  of,  showing  ring,  188 
healing  ring  sent  to,  350 
Elk-hoof,  rings  made  from,  352,  353 
Elks,  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of, 

rings  of,  332 
Emblems,  Christian,  on  rings,  253-255 
Emerald,  4,  5,  34,  50,  74,  78,  89,  106, 
121,  176,  178,  180,  181,  211,  227, 


INDEX 


371 


Emerald,  252,  274,  275,  276,  282,  305, 
328,  335 
entire  rings  of,  101-103 
Emneehildis,    wife    of    Childeric  II, 

signet  of,  138 
Engagement  rings,  227,  230,  233-235, 
237 

English  rings,  36,  41-45,  47,  48,  64,  74, 
85,  113,  129,  144,  149-157,  169,  173- 
192,  211,  219,  221,  222,  224,  231,  269- 
272,  274,  282-284,  286,  287,  349 

Enkomi,  Cyprus,  rings  fomid  in  tombs 
at,  5,  6 

Enstatite,  86 

Eskimos,  do  not  favor  rings,  31 
Essex,  Earl  of,  wins  diamond  ring  at 

tournament,  181 
Essex  ring,  162 

Essex,  William  Devereux,  Earl  of,  story 
of  ring  sent  him  by  Elizabeth,  186-188 

Estampes,  Anne  de  Pisseleu,  Duchesse 
d',  favorite  of  Francis  I,  168 

Esther,  book  of,  signet  mentioned  in, 
116 

Ethelswith,  ring  of,  173,  174 
Ethelwulf,  ring  of,  173,  174 
Etruscan  rings,  68,  69 
Eugene  III,  Pope,  144 
Eugene  IV,  Pope,  259 
Evans,  Sir  John,  209 
Evdokim,  Archbishop, 
Evil  eye,  rings  as  charms  against,  236, 
293 

F 

Faber,  Conrad,  portrait  by,  148 
Fairbanks,  Arthur,  VIII 
Fairchild,  B.  G.,  363 
Farley,  Cardinal,  ring  of,  278 
Faustina  the  elder,  head  of,  in  entire 

sapphire  ring,  99 
Fede,  Italian  designation  of  betrothal 

ring,  209 
Fei-tsui  jade,  107 

Fenton,  Edward,  on  the  turquoise,  220 
Field  Museum  of   Natural  History, 

Chicago,  81 
Figdor,  Albert,  x,  89,  167 
Figdor  (Dr.  Albert)  collection,  45,  89, 

167,  210,  253 
Filipino  rings,  83,  352 
Filippo  Maria,  Duke  of  Milan,  259 
Finger  on  which  betrothal  or  wedding 

ring  is  placed,  194-197,  203,  215,  222 
Fish  symbol  (Christian),  255 
"Fisherman's  Ring,"  262-265 


Fitzherbert,  Mrs,,  ring  of,  with  portrait 

of  George  IV,  224 
Flambard,  Bishop,  ring  of ,  275 
Fletcher,  John,  allusion  of,  to  rush- 
rings,  206 
Fortnum,  Drury,  153,  154,  156, 
Fossil  coral,  334 

Francis  I,  verses  written  with  diamond 

ring  by,  168 
Francis  II  of  France,  150 
Franklin  rings,  77 

Franks  Bequest  collection,  40,  104,  150 
Frederick  I  of  Prussia,  talismanic  ring 

of,  171,  172 
Frederick  the  Great,  171 
Frederick  William  I  of  Prussia,  172 
Frederick  William  III  of  Prussia,  172 
French  Revolution,  rings  of,  76 
French  rings,  45,  47,  75-77,  85,  87,  89, 

90,  92,  93,  139,  140,  145,  147,  149- 

151,  164,  168,  170,  173,  179,  201,  211, 

212,  215,  273,  348 
French  soldiers,  rings  made  by,  92,  93 
"Friday  Ring"  of  Charles  V  of  France, 

164,  165 
Friedlander,  R,  &  Sohn,  ix 
Frolen  Gosta,  Washington  ring  owned 

by,  192 
Fuller,  Thomas,  227 

G 

Galba,  signet  of,  131 
Galen,  soporific  ring  in  supposed  trea- 
tise of,  337 
Galleria  Carrara,  Bergamo,  61 
Gallo-Roman  rings,  59,  202 
Gardiner,  Bishop,  of  "cramp  rings,"  343 
Garnet,  21,  86,  109,  110,  111,  125,  178, 
227,  335 

curious  test  of  genuineness  of,  340 
Gaveston,  Piers,  carries  off  bishops'  rings, 
276 

Genesis,  signet  mentioned  in,  115 
Genlis,  Mme.  de,  "Sapphire  Merveil- 

leux"  by,  326 
Geoffroy  Rufus,  Bishop,  ring  of,  275 
George  I,  wedding  rings  frequently  worn 

on  thumb  in  reign  of,  194 
George  III,  43,  151 

George  IV,  ring  of,  with  portrait  of  Mrs. 
Fitzherbert,  224 

Germanic  Museum,  Nuremberg,  210 

German  rings,  17,  45,  58,  75,  85,  88,  158, 
163,  167,  171,  172,  200,  208-210,  216, 
221,  227-229,  235,  273,  274,  305 

Germans,  ancient,  rings  of,  17 


372 


INDEX 


"  Gesta  Romanorum, "  story  of  ring  in, 

300,  306,  307,  345,  346 
Ghirlandajo's  portrayal  of  the  betrothal 

of  the  Virgin,  203 
Giardinetti  rings,  74 
Gilgamesh  Epii,  porphyry  ring  men- 
tioned in,  96 
Gimmal  ring,  218-220 
Glasgow,  explanation  of  arms  of  city 

of,  216 
Glass  rings,  109,  144 
Glenn,  L.  C.,  viii 
Goclenius,  353 
Gold-plated  rings,  109 
Gold  quartz,  335 
Gorius,  33 
Gothic  rings,  163 
Gottheil,  Richard,  vii 
Gratacap,  L.  P.,  viii 
Greek  Church,  usage  as  to  wedding 

rings  in,  203,  204 
Greek-letter  fraternities,  rings  of,  334 
Greek  rings,  7-10,  51,  69,  110,  111,  112, 

122,  124,  126,  198,  251,  256 
Greenfield,  Archbishop,  ring  of,  272 
Greer,  Right  Rev.  David  H.,  viii,  seal 

of,  279,  280 
Gregory,  St.,  formula  as  to  bishops' 

rings  in  Sacramental  of,  267,  268 
Gregory  XIII,  Pope,  281 
Gregory  XVI,  35 
Gregory,  Nyassa,  St.,  256 
Gresham,  Sir  Thomas,  wedding  ring  of, 

219 

Grien,  Hans  Baldung,  62 

Grimm,  Jacob,  in  Ijetrothal  rings  in 

Germany,  207 
Grossherzoglich-Hessisches  Museum, 

Darmstadt,  73 
Guage,  Allen's  Standard  356 
Guage,  Engelmann's  ring,  finger  and 

millimeter,  359 
Guild  of  ring-makers  in  ancient  Rome, 

16 

Gyges.  magic  ring  of.  289-291,  307,  314 
H 

Hadrian,  value  of  rings  in  time  of,  98 
signet  of,  134 

Hadrian  IV,  sends  emerald  ring  to 
Henry  II,  when  granting  sovereignty 
of  England  over  Ireland,  176 

Hafiz  of  Shiraz,  289 

Hamilton,  Lord  John,  sapphire  ring 
sent  to,  by  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  184 

Hammer-Purgstall,  Joseph  von,  142 


Hamper,  William,  thumb-ring  owned 
by,  339 

Han  Dynasty,  jade  rings  of,  105 
Hannibal,  rings  taken  by,  at  battle  of 

Cannae,  11,  12 
Hapgood,  Mrs.  Isabel,  viii 
Harnham  Hill,  ring  found  at,  195 
Harrower,  Miss  Katherine,  signet  owned 

by,  160 

Hatshepset,  Queen,  signet  of,  117 

Hatton,  Lord  Chancellor,  sends  healing 
ring  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  350 

Hatzfeldt,  Princess,  portrait  of,  61 

Healing  rmgs,  336-354 

Hebrew  rings,  85,  115,  134,  213,  214, 
252,  253,  338,  366 

Helen  of  Troy,  magic  ring  of,  92,  292 

Heliodorus,  describes  a  ring  in  his 
"iEthiopica,"  111 

Henri  II,  medal  of,  with  figure  of  dia- 
mond ring,  170 

Henry  II  receives  emerald  ring  from 
Pope  Hadrian  IV  with  grant  of  sov- 
ereignty over  Ireland,  176 

Henry  III,  of  England,  rings  among 
Crown  Jewels  of,  55 
pawns  jewels  of  Edward  the  Con- 
fessor's shrine,  175 

Henry  IV  of  England,  decree  of  against 
spurious  rings,  114 

Henry  V  of  England,  166 

Henry  VI,  of  England,  Serjeants'  rings 
in  time  of,  49 

Henry  VII  of  England,  gives  rings  as 
tournament  prizes,  181 

Henry  VIII,  182,  189 
portrait  of,  59 

Henrietta  Maria,  Queen,  signet  of,  153- 
156 

Heraclius,  Emperor,  141 

"Hermit's  stone"  in  ring,  305 

Herrick,  Robert,  218 

Hervee,  Bishop,  ring  of,  273 

Hilary,  Bishop,  ring  of,  272 

Hindu  rings,  63,  77-80,  85,  101-103 

223,  321 
Hirth,  Friedrich,  viii 
"Hnited"  (The  Welded),  mystic  ring 

given  King  Olaf  by  Ulf  the  Red,  323 
Hodge,  F.  W.,  viii 
Hogarth,  William,  94 
Hohenzollern  Museum,  Berlin,  224 
Holbein,  Hans,  59 
Holmes,  W.  H.,  viii 
Hololith  rings,  97,  99  sqq.  , 


INDEX 


373 


Homeric  epics,  rings  not  mentioned 
in,  8 

Hope,  Henry  Philip,  325 
Horace,  44,  53, 

on  Thynnian  rings,  71 
Horseshoe-nail  rings,  110 
Hough,  Walter,  viii,  24 
numerous  mottoes  on  rings,  221,  222 
Hungarian  rings,  166,  318 
Hunila,  Gothic  ring  of,  163 
Hunyady,  John,  ring  story  concerning, 
166 

Huntington,  Archer  M.,  278 
Hyalite.  227 

I 

Iconographic  rings,  74 

Imperial       Kunstgewerbe  Museum, 

Vienna,  87 
Indians,   American,   rings   of,  17-30 
Innocent  III  sends  four  rings  to  Richard 

Coeur  de  Lion,  178 

definition  of  bishops'  rings  by,  273 
lolite,  227 

Irene,  Empress,  wife  of  Alexis  Com- 

nenus,  144 
Irish  rings  85,  226 

one  set  with  diamonds  found  near 
Mallingor,  Co.  Westmeath,  191 
Iron  rings,  10,  11,  17,  84,  228,  328 
Isaiah  on  rings  of  Hebrew  women,  65 
Isidore  of  Seville,  52,  70,  195,  267 
Isis  and  Serapis,  ring  figuring,  57,  70 
Isis,  rings  dedicated  to  statue  of,  in 

Spain,  252 
Italian  rings,  74,  79,  85,  109,  147,  214, 

262-265 

Ivory  rings,  84,  104,  113,  120,  136 
J 

Jacinth,  (zircon),  21,  78,  86,  124,  340 
healing  power  of,  set  in  a  ring,  340 

Jade,  158 

ring  box  of  in  Bishop  Collection  55 
entire  rings  of,  105-108,  319 

Jadeite,  158 

Jackson,  A.  V.  Williams,  viii,  160 
James,  Epistle  of,  wearer  of  gold  ring 
in,  14 

James   I,   sapphire   ring  announcing 
Elizabeth's  death  brought  to,  188, 189 

James  IV  of  Scotland,  turquoise  ring 
of,  181,  182 

Japanese  rings,  82,  85 

Jasper,  33,  87,  257 
entire  ring  of,  99 


Jastrow,  Morris,  Jr.,  viii 

Jean  Sans-Peur,  Duke  of  Burgundy, 

ring  of,  149 
Jeanne  d'Arc,  rings  of,  347,  348 
Jeffreys,  Judge,  ring  of,  190,  191 
JehangirShah, 

entire  emerald  ring  of,  101 
entire  ruby  ring  of,  102 
Jemshid,  magic  ring  of,  116 
Jeremiah,  on  the  signet  ring,  135 
Jeroboam  II,  King  of  Israel,  signet  ring 

from  time  of,  366 
Jet, 

entire  ring  of,  108 

John,  King,  jewels  of,  55 

John  II  of  France,  ruby  ring  of,  lost 
at  Poitiers,  164,  165 

John  V,  Paleologus,  Emperor,  146 

John  XXII,  Pope,  stones  used  in  eccle- 
siastical rings  in  time  of,  276 

John  Constans,  Elector  of  Saxony,  por- 
trait of,  61 

John  of  Salisbury,  176,  177 

Johnson,  Dr.  Samuel,  wedding  ring  of, 
223 

Jones,  William  H.,  viii 

Jonson,  Ben,  "ring  posy"  of,  238 

Jordan,  Agnes,  abbess  of  Bridgetine 
Convent,  ring  on  sepulchral  image 
of,  280  ^ 

Joseph's  ring,  1 

Josephus,  132 

story  of  magic  ring,  294,  295 

Jupiter,  ring  of  priests  of,  250 

Justinian,  Emperor,  decree  of,  regard- 
ing rings,  15 

Juvenal,  57,  96,  97 

Juxon,  Bishop,  and  rings  of  Charles  I, 
156 

K 

Kalidasa,  321 

Karavongu,  Prabha,  ix 

Keith,  Minor  C,  viii 

Kentigern,  St.,  promises  finding  of  a 

wedding  ring,  216 
Key-shaped  rings,  71 
Khufu  (cheops),  ring  of  priest  of  his 

pyramid,  118 
King,  C.  W.,  Ill,  147,  157,  171 
Kircher,  Athomasius,  213 
Knights  of  Columbus,  rings  of,  332 
Knights  of  Pythias,  rings  of,  334 
Knot,  the,  as  origin  of  the  ring,  2 
Koch,  Court  Jeweller,  ring  collection 

of,  209 


374 


INDEX 


Konstantinidis  Collection  at  Nicosia,  6 
Kunzite,  334 

Kusa-gTSLSS    (Saccharum  spontaneum) 
rings  of,  among  the  Hindus,  77 

L 

Labouchere,  M.,  157 
Labradorite,  34,  86 

Lafayette,  ring  given  to,  by  Washing- 
ton, 192 
Lalique,  Rene,  87 
Lambeccius,  315 

Lapidario  of  Alfonso  X,  304,  305,  328 

Lapis-lazuli,  50,  63,  96,  117,  158,  171 

Lapplanders,  magic  rings  of  the,  324 

"Latitude  and  Longitude  Ring,"  233 

Laufer,  Berthold,  viii 

Layard,  Sir  Austen  Henry,  3 

Leaden  rings,  112,  328 

Learning,  Vice-Chancellor  E.  B.,  192 

Legal  use  of  a  ring,  36 

Legend,  Scotch,  of  loss  of  a  wedding 

ring,  215,  216 
Lentulus,  signet  of,  127 
Leo  X,  Pope,  264,  269 
Leopold  I,  315 

Lessing  G.  E.,  tale  of  rings  in  his  "Na- 
than der  Weise,"  346,  347 
Levesque,  M.,  147 

Leyden  Papyrus,  formulas  for  magic 

rings  in,  297,  298 
Lichtenau,  Countess,  anecdote  of  ring 

taken  by,  172 
Lincoln,  Waldo,  ix,  47 
Lindenschmidt,  Ludwig,  58 
Locomotive  Engineers,  Brotherhood  of, 

ring  of,  332 
Londesborough  collection,  34, 169,  213, 

218,  220,  311 
London  Archaeological  Institute,  166 
"Lorscher  Ring,"  73 
Lothaire's  signet,  140 
Lotto,  Lorenzo,  61 
Louis  I,  signet  of,  140 
Louis  VII,  donates  ring  to  shrine  of 

Thomas  a  Becket,  183 
Louis  IX,  supposed  signet  ring  of,  145 
Louis  XI,  167 

Louis  XII,  signet  of,  147,  148 

Louis  of  Luxembourg,  Constable,  rmgs 

given  by,  167 
Louisa,  Queen  of  Prussia,  betrothal  ring 

of,  224 
Louvre  Museum, 

Lovat,  Lord,  memorial  ring  of,  44 
Lucas,  Dr.  F.  A.,  viii 


Lucian,  tale  of  a  magic  ring  told  by,  122 
Lucretius,  of  Samothracius  rings,  70 
Lucullus,  signet  of,  130 
Luminous  ring,  317 

Luther,  ring  commemorating  wedding 
of,  216,  217 

M 

"Mabinogian, "  magic  ring  in,  307,  308 

McCurdy,  George  Grant,  ix 

Machu  Picchu,  Inca  city  of  refuge,  83 

Macrobius,  on  ring-finger,  52,  194 

Maecenas,  signet  of,  130 

Magic  rings,  see  talismanic 

Magnetic  iron,  328 

"  Mahabharata, "  rings  mentioned  in 
the,  77 

Maharant  of  Sikkim,  portrait  of,  63 

(Frontispiece) 
Malory,  Sir  Thomas,  309 
Mandeville,  Sir  John,  315 
Manx  customs  as  to  rings,  205 
Marat,  effigy  of  on  ring,  76 
Maratta,  Carlo,  portrait  by,  278 
Marcellus  Empiricus,  on  cure  of  hic- 
coughs by  the  placing  of  a  ring,  336 
Marcina,  St.,  the  Younger,  ring  of,  256 
Marcus  Aurelius,  head  of,  in  signet,  140 
Margaret  of  Anjou,  180,  181 
Marguerite  de  Valois,  verses  written 

with  diamond  ring  by,  168 
Maria  of  Austria,  portrait  of,  59 
Marius,  wore  iron  ring  at  triumph,  10 
Mark,  St.,  legend  of  ring  of,  312,  314 
Marlborough  Collection  of  Gems,  99 
Marston  John,  rings  mentioned  in  play 
by,  46 

Martial,  epigrams  of,  on  rings,  34,  53,  54 
Mary  of  Burgundy,  ring  of,  167 
Mary  I  of  England,  183 
Mary,  Princess,  afterwards  Queen,  por- 
trait of,  60 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  155 

ring  memorials  of,  45,  184-186 

portrait  of,  60 

signet  ring  of,  149-151,  153 

ring  given  her  by  Elizabeth,  183, 
184 

wedding  ring  of,  217,  218 
Masonic  rings,  331,  332 
Materials  of  rings,  95-114 
Mathias,  Emperor  of  Germany,  ring  of, 
168 

Matilda,  wife  of  William  the  Conqueror, 
ring  found  in  tomb  of,  179 


INDEX 


375 


Maurus,    Rabonus,     Archbishop  of 

Mainz,  268 
MaximiUan  I,  Emperor,  betrothal  ring 

of,  234.  235 
Maximinus,  Emperor,  thumb  ring  of, 

58,  162 
Mazza,  B.,  viii 

Mazzel  tob,  inscription  on  Hebrew  be- 
trothal rings,  meaning  of,  213 

Medici,  Cosimo  de,  impresa,  with  di- 
amond rings,  170 

Megenberg,  Konrad  son,  311 

Memorial  rings,  40-48 

Mendseans  of  Mesopotamia  as  silver- 
smiths, 31,  32 

Mendoza,  Spanish  ambassador,  ring 
sent  to,  by  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  185 

Mercato,  Michele,  258 

"Merchant  of  the  Ruby,"  180 

Merchant's  ring  of  glass,  mentioned  in 
"Piers  Plowman,"  144 

Mercier,  Louis  Sebastien,  76 

Mercury  as  bestower  of  magic  rings, 
295,  296 

Meroe,  ring  of  a  queen  of,  67 

Meronitz,  Bohemia,  garnets  from,  110 

Merovingian  rings,  58,  72,  73,  137,  138, 
257 

Meteorites,  rings  set  with  peridots  from, 
330 

Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New 

York,  51,  80,  105,  119,  188 
" Michaelangelo's  Signet"  147 
Mills,  William  C,  ix 
Min  Yonk  Ik,  Corean  prince,  jade  rings 

of,  107 
Minoan  rings,  116,  118 
Minos  of  Crete,  ring  of,  291,  292 
Mint-marks  from  signets,  129 
Mirror  rings,  Hindu,  79 
Mithridates  the  Great,  54 
Mocha-stone,  87 
Mohammed's  seal,  141 
Moonstone,  335 
Moore,  Isabel,  ix 

Moorehead,  Warren  K.,  ix,  21,  22 

Moose,  Loyal  Order  of,  rings  of,  332 

Morgan,  Henri  de,  2,  68 

Morgan,  J.  de,  68, 

Morgan,  Octavius,  75 

Morse,  Edward  S.,  ix, 

"Morte  d' Arthur,"  story  of  magic  ring 

in,  309,  310 
Moss-agate,  335 

Mostiola,  St.,  has  betrothal  ring  of  the 
Virgin,  259 


Mother-of  pearl,  81 

Mottoes,  209-213,  221,  222,  233,  234, 

237-248 

formed  by  initials  of  stones  set  in 
rings,  50,  226 
Miiller,  Peter,  on  legal  significance  of 

giving  a  ring,  204 
Murray,  George  Gilbert  Aime,  4 
Musa,  Antonius,  granted  right  to  wear 

gold  rings,  by  Augustus,  336 
Museo  Nacional,  Mexico  City,  Aztec 

finger-ring  in,  20 
Mycenaean  rings,  6,  68,  99,  109,  118 

N 

Nadir  Shah,  entire  emerald  rings  of, 
101,  102 

Nails,  horseshoe,  rings  of,  110,  326 
Names  of  rings  in  ancient  and  modern 

India,  78,  79 
in  various  modern  languages,  364- 

365 

Naoratna"  (navaratna)  ring,  78,  321 
Napoleon  memorial  rings,  47,  4 
Napoleonic  rings,  173 
Narwhal  tusk,  rings  of,  341 
Natal  rings,  90,  91,  328,  329 
"Nathan  der  Weise,"  tale  of  rings  in, 

346,  347 
National  Geographic  Society,  83 
National    Hungarian    Museum,  16, 

318 

National  Museum  at  St.  Germain-en- 
Laye,  121 

National  Museum,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Navajo  Indians,  rings  of,  22-30 
Nelson,    Admiral   Horatio,  memorial 

rings  of,  44 
Nero,  signet  of,  130 
New  Gallery,  London,  225 
New  York  Historical  Society,  118 
Newall,  Edward  T.,  viii 
Nibelungen  Ring,  303 
Nider,  Johann,  legend  of  miraculous 

nun's  ring  in  his  Formicarius,  286 
Niello,  how  made  and  applied,  271 
Nippur,  record  of  emerald  ring  found 

at,  4,  5 
Noe,  Sydney  P.,  viii 
Norfolk,  Duke  of,  donates  ring  of  James 

IV  of  Scotland,  181 
Numa  Pompilius,  iron  rings  worn  in  age 
of,  10 
rings  on  statues  of. 
Nuns'  rings,  284-286 


376 


INDEX 


O 

Ohio  State  Archaeological  and  Histori- 
cal Society,  19 

Ominous  substitution  for  a  wedding  ring 
in  a  Scotch  legend,  226 

"  Oneirocritica  "  of  Artemidorus,  37 

Onyx,  39,  111,  158,  159,  328 

Opal,  86,  227,  269,  291 

Orders  and  societies,  rings  of,  332,  333 

Origin  of  the  ring,  1-32 

Ostby  &  Barton  Co.,  ix 

Othman,  loses  Mohammed's  seal,  141 

Otto  III  of  Germany,  orders  disinter- 
ment of  Charlemagne's  remains,  302, 

Overbury,  Sir  Thomas,  189 

Ovid,  portrait  ring  of,  57 
on  a  ring  gift,  193 

Owen,  Sir  Richard,  196 

P 

"Pacifying  ring,"  233 

Papal  rings,  262-265 

Passion,  healing  ring  with  emblems  of 
the  348  349 

Pearl,'  34,  50,  60,  78,  87,  114,  180,  236, 
252,  334,  335 
figured  on  portrait  of  Queen  Mary  I 
of  England,  60 

Peary,  Admiral  Robert  E.,  ix, 

Pectunculas  shells,  rings  made  of,  17 

Pelissier,  Georges,  ix 

Pembroke,  William  Herbert,  Lord,  en- 
joins in  his  will  that  his  widow  shall 
enter  order  of  widowhood,  286 

Pepys,  Samuel,  his  bequest  of  rings  to 
his  friends,  41 

Perfume  rings,  38 

Peridot  (chrysoUte),  21,  86,  227,  335 
Persian  rings,  2,  80,  103,  116,  122,  123 
Perugia,  betrothal  ring  of  the  Virgin  at, 

100,  222,  258-261 
Peruvian  rings 
Pesaro,  Antonio,  61 
Peters,  Rev.  Dr.  John  P.,  viii,  160 
Peters,  Miss  Joan  St.  Michael,  signet 

owned  by,  160 
Petrarch,  on  ruby  ring  of  John  II  of 

France,  164 
Petrie,  William  Flinders,  ix 
Phenacite,  86 

Philip  II  of  Spain,  ring  sent  to  by  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  185,  186 
at  consecration  of  "cramp  rings," 
245 

Philostratus,  Flavins,  296 
Phocus,  ring  of,  9 


Phoenician  rings,  68,  121 

Physicians'  rings,  345 

Piccolomini  Collection,  71 

Pierce,  President,  ring  given  to,  84 

Pinakothek,  Munich,  62 

Piiloy,  L.,  59 

Pipe-stopper  ring,  94 

Pius  II,  Pope,  ring  of,  262 

Pius  VI,  263,  264 

Pius  IX,  263,  281 

Planetary  rings,  296,  327,  328,  351 

Plasma,  274 

Platinum  rings,  229,  230 
Plato,   blames   Aristotle  for  wearing 
rings,  32 

on  ring  of  Gyges,  290,  291 
Plautus,  ring  mentioned  by,  in  his 
"Miles  Gloriosus,"  193,  194 

of  sealing  up  household  goods,  133 
Pliny,  1,  8,  10,  53,  104,  121, 195, 199,  336 
Plotina,  wife  of  Trojan,  supposed  ring 

of,  71 
Plutarch,  8,  123 
Pococke,  Bishop,  191 
Poison  ring, 

in  ancient  Rome,  36 

of  Hannibal,  36 

of  Demosthenes,  36 

Rubbinical,  36 

of  the  Borgias,  37 

Egmont's,  38 
Polish  rings,  65 
Polycrates,  ring  of,  120-122 
Polygnotus,  rings  in  pictures  by,  9 
Pompey,  54 

Signet  of,  127,  130 
Pomphonica,  Roman  lady,  ring  of,  33 
Pope,  Alexander,  112 
Porphyry,  96 
Portrait  rings,  76 

Portraits  illustrating  ring-wearing,  60- 

64,  148,  152,  188,  278 
Portuguese  rings,  172,  173,  328,  329 
"Posies"  for  rings,  selection  of,  237-247 
Prado  Gallery,  Madrid,  60 
Prehnite,  335 

Prince,  John  Dyneley,  viii,  365 
Prometheus,  legend  as  to  ring  of,  1,2 
Propertius,  of  a  ring  burned  in  a  funeral 

pyre,  134 
Protonotaries'  rings,  281 
Proverbs,  French,  regarding  rings,  76 
Pueblo  Bonito,  Nev.,  rings  found  at,  108 
Pueblo  ruins  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexi- 

ico,  rings  from,  17 


INDEX 


377 


Purposes,  special,  of  ring  wearing,  32-50 
Puzzle  rings,  219 
Pyrite,  335 

Pythias,  Knights  of,  rings  of,  334 

Q 

Quicksilver  rings,  328,  351 
Lyly,  Sir  Peter,  62 

R 

Rabbies'  rings,  252,  253 

Rafael's  "Sposahzio"  in  Brera  Gallery, 

Milan,  203 
Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  lines  written  with 

diamond  ring  by,  169 
"Ramayana, "  rings  mentioned  in  the,  77 
Rameses  II,  ring  of,  249 
Rameses  III,  rings  in  time  of,  97 
Rathbun,  R.,  ix 

Read,  Sir  Charles  Hercules,  ix,  58,  99 
Reale  Galleria  d'Arte  Antica,  Rome,  60 
"Regal  of  France,"  large  diamond  in 
ornament  given  by  Louis  VII  to 
shrine  of  St.  Thomas  a  Becket,  183 
"Regard  Rings,"  227 
Reinach,  Salomon,  121 
Religious  use  of  rings,  249-287 
"Repeal  Ring,"  50 
"Reynard  the  Fox,"  magic  ring  de- 
scribed in,  303,  304 
Rhinoceros  horn,  healing  rings  of,  338, 
352 

hoof  rings  of,  337 
Richard,  Coeur  de  Lion  receives  four 
gold  rings  from  Pope  Innocent  III, 
178 

Richard  II,  memorial  rings  of,  41 

grants  coronation  Ring  to  West- 
minster Abbey,  174 
directs  that  a  ring  be  put  on  his 
finger  after  death,  179 

Rienzi,  Cola  di,  wedding  ring  of,  214 

Riker,  William,  ix 

Ring-making,  354-364 

Ring-money,  35 

Roberts,  Oliver  A.,  ix 

Robespierre  rings,  77 

Rock-crystal,  125,  149,  158,  328,  335 
entire  rings  of,  100 

Rogers,  Austin  T.,  ix 

Roman  rings,  10,  33,  52-58,  71-73,  85, 
97-99,  100,  104,  113,  126,  128, 
130-132,  134,  198,  250,  255,  258- 
261,  293,  337 
rules  as  to  wearing  those  of  iron 
or  gold,  10-16 


Roosevelt,  Miss  Alice  (Mrs.  Longworth) 

anecdote  regarding  ring  given  to,  by 

Sultan  of  Sulu,  236,  237 
Roscius,  Roman  actor,  right  of  wearing 

a  ring  accorded  to,  13 
Rossi,  Abbot  Adamo,  258 
Rothschild,  Baron  Ferdinand,  88 
Roty,  Oscar,  marriage  medals  of,  232, 

233 

Royal  Collection  at  Windsor  Castle, 
147,  156 

Rubens'  "Betrothal  of  Marie  de'Medi- 
ci,"  224 

Ruby,  50,  78,  89,  90,  101,  106,  144,  147, 
164,  165,  174,  178,  180,  181,  183, 
227,  269,  270,  274,  275,  283,  334, 
340 

entire  ring  of,  102 
Runic  inscription  on  healing  ring,  339 
Rush-rings,  for  mock  marriages,  206,  207 
Russian  Church,  usage  as  to  wedding 

rings  in,  203,  204 
Russian  rings,  85,  100,  204 
S 

Saadi,  ring  story  in  Gulistan  of,  163,  164 
Sackvil,  Thomas,  Duke  of  Dorset,  ring 

given  to  by  James  I,  350 
Sagan  Kerens  of  S.  E.  Asia,  supersti- 
tious use  of  rings  with,  308 
"St.  Martin's  Ring,"  113,  114 
"Sakuntala"  of  Kalidasa,  magic  ring  in, 
321,  322 

Salisbury,  Richard,  Bishop  of,  on  rush- 
rings,  206 

Samothracian  rings,  70,  85 

Santo  Anello,  Capella  del,  261 

"Saphire  Merveilleux, "  325,  326 

Sapphire,  36,  74,  78,  89,  143,  158,  161, 
176,  178,  179,  184,  188,  189,  227,  269. 
270,  273,  274,  275,  276,  277,  278,  325, 
331,  335,  339 

Sard,  158,  159,  337 

Sardonyx,  96,  121,  125,  159 

Sarum  Rite,  order  of  matrimony  in  the, 
196,  197 

Sassanian  rings,  85,  161 

Saxon's  Lode,  thumb  ring  found  at,  64 

ScalcB  anularice  in  Rome,  where  ring- 
dealers  sold  their  wares,  16 

Scandinavian  rings,  323,  324,  339 

Scaraboid  rings,  51 

Scaurus,  Emilius,  dactylioiheca  of,  54 

Scheibel,  Lieut.,  ring  found  by,  300 

Schley,  Mrs,  Annie  R.,  viii 

Schneider,  Hofrat,  172 


378 


INDEX 


Scipio  Africanus,  signet  of,  129 
Seffrid,  Bishop,  ring  of,  272 
Seleucus  I,  Nicator 
signet  of,  124 
magic  ring  of,  293 
Senlis,  Pierre  Bishop  of,  formula  fcr 
dedicating  nun's  rings  in  his  pontifi- 
cal, 285 

Serapis  and  Isis,  ring  figuring,  57,  70, 

head  of  Serapis  on  signet,  140 
Serjeants'  rings,  48  50 
Serpent  rings,  72,  78,  91,  92 
Servius  Tullius,  rings  in  statues  of,  52 
Sewall,  Archbishop,  ring  of,  272 
Shakespeare,  40,  46,  152,  166,  207,  220, 
221,  247,  310,  317 

bequest  of  rings  to  his  friends,  41 

signet  of,  151 
Shashank  I  (Shishak),  ring  of,  117 
Shaw,  Sir  Edmund,  mourning  rings  be- 
queathed by,  349 
Shell  rings,  17,  18,  21 
Shemai,  signet  ring  of,  366 
"Shield  of  David"  on  healing  rings,  339 
Shook,  Sheridan,  amethyst  ring  worn 

by,  85  ^ 
Shujah,  Shah,  entire  emerald  ring  given 
by,  to  British  East  India  Com- 
pany, 101 

to  Runjit  Singh,  102 
Shylock's  turquoise,  220 
Siamese  rings,  81 
Sigfroi,  Archbishop,  ring  of,  274 
Sight,  restoration  of,  by  rings,  337 
Sigismond  Augustus  of  Poland,  decree 

of,  as  to  Hebrew  rings,  65 
Signet  ring  or  rings 

of  Queen  Aah-hotep,  117 

of  Ahasuerus,  115 

of  Alexander  the  Great,  123 

of  Amenhotep  IV, 

of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  125 

of  the  Arabs,  142 

of  Augustus,  130,  131 

of  Aurelian,  133 

of  St.  Bernard  de  Clair vaux,  144 

at  baptisms,  136 

bequests  of,  149 

betrothal  rings  used  as, 

of  bishops,  137 

owned  by  Lord  Byron, 

of  Julius  Caesar,  130 

of  Caligulax, 

of  Charles  I  of  England, 

of  Charles  V  of  France,  146 


Signet  ring  or  rings 

of  Childeric  I,  138-140 

of  Childeric  II's  wife,  138 

coats  of  arms  on,  149 

of  Commodus,  131 

of  Alexis  and  John  Comnenus,  144 

of  Constantius  II,  161 

of  Dagobert  I's  wife,  138 

of  Darius,  123 

dreams  of,  132 

of  early  French  Kings,    37,  138 
of  Galba,  131 
of  Hadrian,  134 
of  Queen  Hatshepset,  117 
diamond,  of  Queen  Henrietta  Maria, 
153-156 

ivory,  for  sealing  amphorae,  120-122 

of  priest  of  Khufu's  pyramid,  118 

of  Lentulus,  127 

of  Lothaire,  140 

of  Louis  le  Debonnaire,  140 

of  Louis  IX,  145 

of  Louis  xii,  147,  148 

of  Lucullus,  130 

of  Maecenas,  130 

of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  149-151 

merchants',  144 

"Michelangelo's  Signet,"  147 

of  Mohammed,  141 

mottoes  on,  in  Arabic,  142 

of  Nero,  130 

in  platinum  or  gold,  158 

of  Poly  crates,  120 

of  Pompey,  127 

of  Scipio  Africanus,  129 

of  Seleucus,  124 

of  Shakespeare,  151 

of  Shemai,  366 

superstitious  use  of,  122,  123 
of  Sylla,  130 
of  Thothmes  III,  117 
of  Tiberius,  134 
one  stolen  by  Verres,  126,  127 
of  Wilhelm  I  of  Germany,  158 
of  President  Wilson,  161 
of  Xerxes,  122 
of  Zerubbabbel,  135 
Skiff,  F.  J.  v.,  ix 

Sloane,  Sir  Hans,  rings  in  collection 
of,  87 

Smith,  Sir  Thomas,  350 
Society  of  Antiquaries,  London,  75 
Solomon's  ring,  288,  289 
Somers,  Lt.  Robert,  ring  given  to,  by 
Washington,  192 


INDEX 


379 


South  Kensington  Museum,  190,  315 

Spanish  rings,  85 
Spartans,  iron  rings  of. 
Spencer,  Leonard,  ix 
Spessartite, 
Sphere,  86 
Sphere  ring,  88 
Spinel,  86 
Spodumene,  86 
Squirt  ring,  148 

Stael  von  Holstein,  Baron  Erik  Magnus 
192 

Stanbery,  John,  Bishop,  ring  of,  275 

Starr,  Friedrich,  ix 

State  gems  for  ring  setting  334,  335 

Steevens,  George,  on  Shylock's  tur- 
quoise, 220 

Stephen  Radislav,  King  of  Servia,  nup- 
tial ring  of,  198 

Sterling,  John,  "Onyx  Ring"  by,  324. 
325 

Stewart,  Rev.  Father  William  J.,  viii 

Stone,  George  C,  viii 

"Stone  of  Invisibility"  307 

Stone  rings,  2,  21 

"Stone  of  Remembrance, "  307 

Stoudt,  Rev.  John  Baer,  ix 

Stratonice,  wife  of  Seleucus  I,  rings 

dedicated  by,  251 
Strickland,  Agnes,  184 
Suetonius,  134 

Suffolk,   Countess  of,  takes  vow  of 

widowhood,  287 
Suidas,  312 

Sulu,  Sultan  of,  pearl  ring  given  by, 

236,  237 
Sunstone,  335 

Superstitious  use  of  seal-rings,  122,  123 
Surprise  rings,  94 
Surrya,  Prince,  81 
Swivel  rings,  94 
Sylla,  signet  of,  130 

Symeon,  Archbishop  of  Thessalonica, 
his  description  of  Byzantine  marriage 
ceremony  about  1400  A.  D.,  202 

Symbols,  Christian,  253-255 

Syrian  rings,  124,  125,  160 
T 

Tacitus  on  Germanic  iron  rings,  17 
Taft,  ex-President  William  H.,  ix,  161, 
236 

Talismanic  and  magic  rings 
Albertus  Magnus  on,  311 
Apollonius  of  Tyana's,  296,  325 
Boniface  VIII's,  306 


Charlemagne's,  300-302 
Christian,  in  British  Museum,  257 
Clemens  Alexandrinus  on,  296 
as  charm  against  the  Evil  Eye,  236, 
293 

fortune-telling  by  means  of,  299 
of  Frederick  I  of  Prussia,  171,  172 
of  Gesta  Romanorum,  300,  306,  345 
of  Gyges,  289-291 
of  Helen  of  Troy,  92,  292 
"Hnited"  ("The  Welded")  given  to 

King  Olaf,  323 
in  the  "  Mabinogian, "  307 
Sir  John  Mandeville  on,  315 
St.  Mark's,  312-314 
of  Minos  of  Crete,  291,  292 
in  "Morte  d' Arthur,"  309,  310 
naoratna  ring  of  Hindus,  78,  321 
in  Reynard  the  Fox,  303 
"Saphir  Merveilleux, "  325 
Scandinavian,  323,  339 
of  Seluecus  I,  Nicator,  293 
in  Sir  Eglamore,  310 
"Ring  of  Solomon,"  288,  289 
in  Sterling's  "Onyx  Ring,"  324 
superstitious    use   of,    by  Sagan 

Karens,  308 
Tewfik  Pasha's  experience  with  one, 

322,  323 
in  "Book  of  Thetel,"  311 
one  made  by  Abbot  Tritheim,  314 
in  Wolfdietrich,  305,  306 
in  Yuain  and  Gawin,  310 

Tanagra,  ring  from,  112 

Tassi,  Agosto,  engraver  of  "Michel- 
angelo's Signet, "  147 

Tavernier,  Jean  Baptiste,  143,  154,  155 

Tedyngton,  Richard,  keeper  of  jewels 
of  Edward  the  Confessor's  shrine,  175 

Tertullian  on  betrothal  ring,  199 

Tewfik  Pasha,  experience  of,  with  a 
magic  ring,  322,  323 

Theodorus  of  Samos,  engraver  of  ring 
of  Poly  crates,  120 

Thomas,  Dr.  John,  Dean  of  Westmin- 
ster, 179 

Thompson,  C.  J.  S.,  ix 

Thothmes  III,  ring  of,  117 

Thumb  rings,  58,  87,  105-108,  194,  222 

Thynnian  rings,  70 

Tiberius,  seal  ring  of,  removed  when  he 

became  unconscious,  134 
Tibetan,  81 
Tin  rings,  328 


380 


INDEX 


Toad  swallowing  a  serpent,  ring  de- 
signed in  form  of  a,  311 

Toadstone,  warns  of  poison  when  worn 
in  a  ring,  341 

Toe  rings,  78,  80 

Topaz,  78,  86,  125,  158,  178,  276,  335 

Tourmaline,  86 

green  ("Brazilian  emerald"),  used 
for  bishops'rings  in  Brazil,  277 

Tournament,  rings  as  prizes  at  a,  181 

"Tower  Rings,"  169 

Trallianus,  Alexander,''recommends  ring 
as  cure  for  biliousness,  338 

Trauring,  German  designation  of  be- 
trothal ring,  209 

Tree,  Sir  Herbert,  x 

Trees  sealed  with  rings,  128 

Tricolored  magic  ring,  304 

"Trinity  Ring,"  75 

Tritheim,  Abbot  of  Spandau,  magic  ring 

made  by,  314 
True-lovers'  knot,  2 
Tumulty,  J.  P.,  ix 

Tiirk,  Viennese  com-t  jeweller,  collection 

of  rings  made  by,  66 
"Turkic,"  old  name  of  turquoise,  220 
Turquoise,  21,  23,  24,  34,  63,  75,  81,  86, 

103,  114,  150,  182,  328,  334 
Tyrolean  rings,  353 
Tyszkiewicz  Collection,  121 

U 

Ulysses,  ring  of,  8 

United  States  National  Museum,  85, 
University  Galleries,  Oxford,  60 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  excava- 
tions at  Nippur  by,  4 

V 

Valens,  Emperor,  299 

Vandyke,  Anthony,  62 

Vergil,  Polydore,  342 

Vemey,  Sir  Edmund,  ring  given  to,  by 

Charles  I,  190 
Verres,  seal  ring  stolen  by,  126 
Victoria,  Queen,  156,  225 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  (South 
'   Kensington  Museum),  217,  269,  271 
Virgin,  betrothal  ring  of,  at  Perugia  100, 

222,  258-261 
Visigoths,  law  of,  concerning  betrothal 

rings,  200 
Vyse,  Colonel,  118 

W 

Wada,  T.,  x 
Waddesdon  Bequest,  88 


Wade,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Homer,  90 

Wales,  Prince  of,  ring  among  insignia 

of,  made  by  Welsh  gold,  283,  284 
Walwyn,  Francis,  engraver  of  Henrietta 

Maria's  diamond  signet,  154 
Warbeck,  Perkin,  180 
Ward,  William  Hayes,  ix,  3 

anecdote  of  ring  bought  by,  3,  4 
Washington  rings,  77,  191,  192 
Watch  rings,  40,  87,  353 
Watelet,  M.,  147 
Waterton,  Edmund,  34,  214 
Waterton  Collection,  217,  260-271 
Wearing  of  rings,  methods  of,  50-66 
Wedding  or  betrothal  rings: 
sent  by  Clovis  I,  201 
conditional  gift  of,  205 
diamond,  in  Shakespeare's  Cym- 

beUne,  221 
on  which  finger  placed,  194-197, 

203,  215,  222 
George  IV's  with  portrait  of  Mrs. 

Fitzherbert,  224,  225 
in  ancient  Germany,  208 
in  modern  Germany,  209 
gimmal  rings  as,  218,  219 
gold,  already  used  by  Romans  in 

2d.  century,  199 
gold,  surrendered  for  iron  in  Ger- 
many, 228 
in  Greek  Church,  202-204 
of  Sir  Thomas  Gresham,  219 
Hebrew  use  of,  213,  214 
of  iron,  in  early  Roman  times,  199 
of  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  223 
loss  of  a,  Scotch  legend  regarding, 
216 

of  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia,  224 
commemorating  Luther's  marriage, 

216,  217 
Manx  custom  as  to,  205 
of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  217 
for  men,  230 

mottoes  on,  209,  211,  221,  233-248 
with  names  formed  by  initial  letters 

of  precious  stones,  227 
obligation  involved  in  giving  a,  204 
ominous  substitute  for  one,  in  a 

Scotch  legend,  226 
of  Cola  di  Rienzi,  214 
rush  ring  as,  206 

Shylock's  turquoise  perhaps  in  be- 
trothal ring,  220 

story  of  a,  in  "Cent  Nouvelles 
Nouvelles,"  215 


INDEX 


381 


Wedding  or  betrothal  rings: 

turquoise  used  for  in  Germany,  221 
Week-day  gems  for  ring-setting,  331 
Weininger,  Leopold,  x 
Weir,  J.  Alden,  viii 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  224 
Welsh  gold  used  for  Prince  of  Wales, 
ring,  284 

Widowhood,"  "Ring  of,  286,  287 

order  of,  286,  287 
Wier,  J.  Alden,  on  rings  in  portraits,  64 
Wild-ass,  healing  rings  made  from  hoof 
of,  352 

WilUam  the  Conqueror,  tomb  of,  at 
Caen  destroyed  by  Huguenots,  179 

William  Rufus,  ring  found  in  tomb  of, 
179 

William  I  of  Germany,  172 

signet  of  used  by  William  II,  158 
William  IV,  of  England,  Coronation 

Ring  of,  283 
William  de  St.  Barbara,  ring  of,  275 
Wilson,  President  Woodrow,  signet-ring 

of,  vi,  161 
Winslow,  Josiah,  47 
Winslow  Isaac,  memorial  ring  of,  47 


Wiseman,  Cardinal,  manuscript  describ- 
ing Solessing  of  "cramp  rings,"  owned 
by,  344.^345 

Wiser,  David 

Wissler,  Clark,  viii 

"Wolfdietrich,"  story  of  magic  ring  in, 

305,  306 
Wolter,  Charlotte,  ring  of,  90 
Woodford,  General  Sir  John,  165 
Woodland,  Theodore  M.,  viii 
Writing  with  diamond  ring,  168-170 
Wu  Ting  Fang,  jade  rings  of,  107,  108 
Wykeham,  Bishop,  ring  of,  275 
Wyman,  Walter  C,  viii 
Wytlesey,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 

ring  of,  275 

X 

Xerxes,  signet  of,  122 
Y 

"Ywaine  and  Gawin,"  romance,  magic 

ring  in,  310 
Zerubbabel,  ring  of,  135 
Z 

Zick,  Stephan,  ivory  ring  made  by,  75 
Zircon  (jacinth,)  78,  86,  124,  340 
Zodiacal  rings,  85,  328,  329 


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